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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26670448">Magnetic In Our Purple Season Eight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagaoSylph/pseuds/AsagaoSylph'>AsagaoSylph</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Magnetic In Our Purple [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Acceptance, Acxa &amp; Lotor (Voltron) Friendship, Allura &amp; Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, BAMF Allura (Voltron), BAMF Pidge | Katie Holt, BAMF Shiro (Voltron), Childhood Trauma, Coming Out, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Family Fluff, Family Reunions, First Kiss, Fix-It, Fluff, Getting Together, Grave Visit, Grief/Mourning, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Interviews, Keith (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Keith thought Lance's name was Taylor, Klance Family, Lance (Voltron) Speaks Spanish, Lance (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Love, Love Triangles, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oriande (Voltron), Plot, Protective Keith (Voltron), Protective Lance (Voltron), Protectiveness, Reunions, Self-Acceptance, Sequel, Sequel to a sequel to a sequel technically, Slow Dancing, Space Battles, Team as Family, Temporary Character Death, Time Skips, Trust, Unrequited Love, Voltron Paladin to Paladin Psychic Bond, Weddings, klance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:42:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>133,081</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26670448</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagaoSylph/pseuds/AsagaoSylph</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You realize that what you are saying is…”</p><p>	“Far-fetched? Absurd? Preposterous?” Suggested Lance, eyes never once dropping from Admiral Sanda’s. “I mean, I’m pretty sure I’d describe the firefight you just saw yesterday as all of those things too. Plus, we do have five semi-magical sentient superpowered metal lions out there along with a castle battleship, so I’d say our evidence surmounts the whole ‘impossible’ argument.”</p><p>OR</p><p>Voltron has finally made it back to Earth, but the final threat looms heavily over them. As personal issues come forth across the team, Keith and Lance have to step fully into what it means to be leaders for <i>their</i> team as they prepare to lead their family towards victory and, more importantly, joy, no matter how fast the clock ticks towards destruction.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Acxa &amp; Keith (Voltron), Acxa &amp; Lotor (Voltron), Acxa/Allura (Voltron), Adam &amp; Lance (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Allura &amp; Keith &amp; Lance (Voltron), Allura &amp; Lance (Voltron), Allura &amp; Pidge | Katie Holt, Curtis/Kuron (Voltron), Hunk &amp; Lance (Voltron), Hunk &amp; Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Keith &amp; Nadia &amp; Sylvio, Keith &amp; Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith/Lance (Voltron), Kuron &amp; Lance (Voltron), Lance &amp; Nadia &amp; Sylvio, Lance &amp; Shiro (Voltron), Matt Holt &amp; Pidge | Katie Holt, Pidge | Katie Holt &amp; Shiro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Magnetic In Our Purple [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1445293</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>400</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lance <i>really</i> wished it was worth the diplomatic crisis for him to double over cackling at the blank, fried expressions of the Garrison Admirals as he finished explaining the last thirteen phoebs to them, his gestures covering half the table and voice dipping to mirror the intonations of his family.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lance <i>really</i> wished it was worth the diplomatic crisis for him to double over cackling at the blank, fried expressions of the Garrison Admirals as he finished explaining the last thirteen phoebs to them, his gestures covering half the table and voice dipping to mirror the intonations of his family. Allura had folded her lips over one another halfway through, a trick she had memorized so she could bite her lip without letting the diplomats in front of them track her reactions. In this case, her twitching fingers and boots brushing against his ankle gave away the laughter bubbling in her chest, and Lance felt a rush of pride. His sister needed a little more laughter in her life, especially after that astral plane fiasco.</p><p>	“Any questions?” He asked, lips quirking up and knuckles knocking against Keith’s beneath the table.</p><p>	Between two quintants of rest, a truly remarkable amount of food, and the color-coded Garrison uniforms Adam had stubborned into getting the team, his boyfriend had finally stopped looking like a truck had ground him into the floor during an earthquake. Everyone had spent the time catching up with their families, and Lance had gotten to introduce Allura and Coran as his family (even if he still hadn’t gotten to come out to his family <i>somehow</i>). Keith and Krolia had officially taken up residence with Mrs. Shirogane, who had ordered Adam and Shiro to remain with her (she cast a significant wink at Adam as she added that she could help them have more time together), so Shiro had given his apartment to Acxa and Lotor for the time being. And sure, bags still draped themselves beneath Keith’s eyes, but his fingers slid between Lance’s and curled tightly, giving some relief to the tension in Lance’s stomach. He gave a soft squeeze in response.</p><p>	“You realize that what you are saying is…”</p><p>	“Far-fetched? Absurd? Preposterous?” Suggested Lance, eyes never once dropping from Admiral Sanda’s. “I mean, I’m pretty sure I’d describe the firefight you just saw yesterday as all of those things too. Plus, we do have five semi-magical sentient superpowered metal lions out there along with a castle battleship, so I’d say our evidence surmounts the whole ‘impossible’ argument.”</p><p>	Admiral Sanda scowled at the interruption, her shoulders jerking up as if to raise her out of her chair in indignation. Lance leaned forward, smile unflinching as Allura’s fingers gripped his knee. She had been briefed leading up to this meeting, and everyone in the Garrison knew Admiral Sanda; they knew not to cross her, not to irritate the powerful woman in the chair across from them, and certainly not to question or intercede on her authority.</p><p>This was going to be painstakingly delicate; Lance had to lay out the broad groundwork that set up Voltron as a group that commanded respect, confidence, and power. Then Allura would do the fine maneuvering, getting Admiral Sanda on their side and securing a voice on the main council for herself. But to do that, she had to seem reasonable and respectful in comparison to Lance (Keith had giggled out that pulling that off shouldn’t be too hard, and had wound up with a slightly lopsided braid in retaliation). Allura raised her chin, a polite smile not quite reaching up to her Altean marks, and Lance felt the tattoo on his arm burn softly. They had been chiselling out the details of this plan, downing coffee, and slamming their heads against the nearest hard surface for the last twenty-four vargas without any break; they knew their plan was going to work. It had to work. They could do this.</p><p>Then Adam snorted, adjusting his jacket pointedly and leaning forward as Sanda’s frown deepened.</p><p>	“I can assure you all as to the validity of their statements,” he chimed in, smirk growing as Sanda’s frown contorted into a line of pure rage across her face. “Admiral Sanda, I’ve lived with them for the past two phoe—months, and I’ve been working with them towards liberating planets from the Galra’s control. The Galra are vicious; they won’t stop until they have control of everything, and then they’ll destroy it all for its energy. They’ve done it before, and they’ll do it to Earth if we don’t stop them.”</p><p>	Sanda glared at Adam, fingers interlaced like woven steel and chin jerking up. Adam didn’t flinch, head tipped to the side and a smile playing on his lips. “I give you my guarantee as a fellow Admiral: the Voltron Coalition and the paladins are our allies and we can trust them.”</p><p>Lance nearly pitched off his chair and right into the gleaming edge of the table at that, and Keith’s jaw crashed into the ground. Adam kept right-on talking. “We must rely on them if we want to save the Earth. Samuel Holt can give you a full rundown on their technology; he knows we are not prepared to defeat them. But Voltron is. This is our home; we want to save it as much as you do.”</p><p>“And the alien princess?” Huffed Sanda, her <i>I-would-murder-you-if-I-could-get-away-with-it </i>glare trained on Adam like an ion cannon. “Does she also wish to save this planet?”</p><p>“The Paladins of Voltron are my family,” interjected Allura, the room’s light flashing across her eyes in an electric arc. “I have already lost my planet; I will not allow any harm to come to their home.”</p><p>“I mean, we did kind of save the day and all that earlier!” Quipped Lance, leaning back in his chair and curling his shoulders up, smile resting on an iron throne. “If we weren’t trying to save the planet, we wouldn’t have exactly come in guns-ablazing to knock those guys out of the sky. There were, what, no casualties?”</p><p>“None,” replied Sanda through gritted teeth.</p><p>Lance spread his arms in a <i>there-you-go </i>gesture, and Admiral Sanda let out a shoulder-wrenching sigh. “Very well. Admiral Wazir, I shall hold you fully to your word as a commanding officer. Voltron shall be tasked with intercepting the Galra invasion currently en route for the planet. You said they shall be here when?”</p><p>	“Well, due to the rather…<i>extensive</i> help of the Mevucs, we managed to knock back the main fleet as well. As such, according to our calculations, we have a little under a phoeb before the Galra invade,” stated Allura, spinning a hologram from her bracelet and casting it towards Sanda, who jerked back as if it would burn her. “Lance and I are working with the coalition to finalize plans and finish gathering our allies. Pidge and Matt shall depart within the next few quintants to infiltrate Haggar’s ship and report back to us on the plans that are being developed for that comet. As soon as our crucial diplomatic relations are finalized, I shall leave with General Acxa for Oriande, and Hunk shall visit the Balmerans to acquire assistance upon the return of Pidge. Coran will depart with me to make contact with the former rebels and the Olkari in order to secure more material support. Should there be any surprise attacks, Lance, Keith, and Shiro shall remain on Earth with their Lions at all times. This shall be the site of the final battle; the war will end here. We will make it count, I swear it on Altea.”</p><p>	Admiral Sanda just stared. Lance cleared his throat.</p><p>	“The Galra will be here in about a little under five weeks because one of our allies managed to damage their main fleet en route,” he translated. “We have a lot of allies throughout the galaxies that we’ve saved, so Allura and I will be contacting them and figuring out plans. Two of them, the Olkari and the Balmerans, are technologically and resourcefully strategic, so we’re sending our Royal Advisor and Yellow Paladin personally via wormholes, and the Royal Advisor will also contact the Rebellion that has been fighting the Galran Empire since it began to expand. The Galran witch, Haggar, recently got her hands on a comet and is constructing a weapon from it, so we are sending our Green Paladin and a former Commander of the Rebellion to analyze it, potentially slow construction, and report back to us. But, since the Green and Yellow Paladins are both our tech experts, we’re staggering their visits. Once the Green Paladin has returned, the Yellow Paladin will go to the Balmera to update them on the situation. However, as soon as our diplomatic priorities are handled, General Acxa—she’s a Galran General on our side—will go with Allura to a place called Oriande to expand on Allura’s powers. In the meantime, Shiro, Keith, and I will stick around in case of any surprises, and we can also answer any questions you all have.”</p><p>	Admiral Sanda blew out an audible breath and nodded once to Lance, her eyes crinkled with gratitude before turning back to the princess.</p><p>	“We will leave this to you. Earth affairs are for humans to handle, but this is an intergalactic issue. I’m grateful to have a team such as yourself and our former cadet leading the operation.”</p><p>	Lance’s cheeks blossomed pink and he snapped his gaze away, clearing his throat self-consciously. Keith’s smile glowed right up into his eyes at Lance’s blush, and Allura giggled as she patted his knee.</p><p>	“I’m grateful to have him as my partner in this; none of us would have gotten this far without him.”</p><p>	“Oh, like we’d ever have gotten off the ground if it weren’t for you!” Retorted Lance as his Altean marks lit up a vibrant blue. “Anyway! Voltron is a team effort, and each one of us is indispensable. As such, each of our members needs to be treated with the same respect and kindness you have afforded us here, Admiral Sanda. I hope you can ensure that the staff of the Garrison is aware of this and acts accordingly.”</p><p>	Admiral Sanda inclined her chin, grey eyes slitting into shards of basalt at the silent threat, and her pen snapped against the table. Lance’s shoulders remained loose, his smile wide, and eyes fully open as they crackled with an icy electricity. <i>Go on, try me on this,</i> he silently dared the sneering Admiral. <i>Push me. Find out <b>exactly</b> how Allura and I have quelled the most stubborn, snobbish, psycho aliens in the universe, and turned them into members of the Voltron Coalition. Come on. <b>Bring it.</b></i></p><p>	“I shall convey your message,” spat out Admiral Sanda. “Needless to say, it will be a matter of mutual respect.”</p><p>	“Of course,” replied Allura, her smile practically sparkling compared to the thunderstorm barely controlled on Keith’s brow. “The full team of Voltron has nothing but respect for all of you.”</p><p>	Sanda’s eyebrow twitched. Lance elbowed Keith under the table, his face a perfect mask, and Keith bit down the urge to let his eyes glow a searing yellow at the woman who had abandoned the search for Shiro two decaphoebs ago. If respect meant he wouldn’t stab her as long as he didn’t have to talk to her, then sure, he had nothing but <i>respect</i> for Admiral Sanda. Lance internally groaned all of the air out of his lungs.</p><p>Admiral Sanda pushed her chair back and straightened her spine into a metal rod. Allura followed suit.</p><p>“Then I believe we have come to an agreement. I look forward to our partnership and entrance into the Voltron Coalition,” stated Sanda as she extended a hand across to Allura.</p><p>	“Indeed, it is an alliance we have been most eager to make. I look forward to your continued support,” said Allura, clasping Sanda’s hand in a firm shake.</p><p>	Lance rose, knocking his knee against Keith’s harshly to snap his boyfriend out of his glaring contest with Iverson, and the other Black Paladin jerked to his feet. They shook hands with Sanda, Lance and Sanda’s grip entirely too tight for their smiles, while Keith and Sanda barely made contact before releasing. Allura beamed, clasping the Black Paladins’ hands in her own, and bowing her head at the Garrison staff. She snuck Adam a wink.</p><p>	“I am afraid that Voltron has many critical duties to attend to, so we shall be taking our leave of you,” she said, giving Keith’s hand a sharp squeeze to forestall the snort she could see building in his throat. “If you have any questions this afternoon, you may ask……Coran, my advisor! He is extremely well-versed in the strategies and history of Voltron, and has been our record-keeper for…millennia, in a sense. I am sure he would be more than happy to help you; I wish you a good quintant.”</p><p>	“Good day,” translated Lance before anyone could so much as process confusion, tugging his partner and sister from the room with a laugh bubbling on his lips.</p><p>	Adam rolled his eyes at the grin Lance flashed him, his fingers flailing against the chain where the ring should be. Oh. Right. He had taken off the ring. And, hopefully, it would never come back on again.</p><p>Admiral Sanda cleared her throat, lips pursed as Adam snapped back to reality, and the newer Admiral pushed off the table to stand, a smile quirked over his face. The two locked eyes, Sanda’s snapping up like a whip and Adam’s falling with the force of a meteor.</p><p>	“If they fail,” she said slowly, each word laced with calculations, “I shall have no hesitation in placing it on your shoulders and calling for your demotion. Do not forget, Wazir, I still have seniority over you, Admiral or not.”</p><p>	Adam inclined his chin, smile unchanged even as the light in his eyes boiled with unspoken laughter.</p><p>	“Noted, Sanda,” he replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder and striding from the room without a glance backwards.</p><p>	Adam wasn’t stupid, he knew that already. He had only been promoted to Admiral a couple of ph—months before going on the mission that would lead him back to his missing family. It had been the result of his frequent voyages into space that pushed the boundaries of their knowledge, his quest to find the ones that the Garrison pretended were dead, his relentless devotion that they took as a love for space and their program. Not true, but if it gave him a higher clearance, Adam wasn’t going to protest.</p><p>	Sanda had been against the promotion from the start, insisting that Adam didn’t remain strictly confined by the rules that governed the institution. He had always played within them because you could only stretch rules if you were in them, right? Adam was also the youngest admiral they had, only twenty-six in comparison to Iverson’s fifty and Sanda’s sixty-nine. An upstart. If she had the chance to kick him out, she would snatch it up faster than Keith when offered a knife. A demotion was far kinder than what she would probably do.</p><p>	Adam closed the door behind him and continued down the hallway, humming a lullaby Lance was teaching him under his breath and cackling internally at the threat. For that to happen, Voltron would need to fail. If that happened, being out of a job would be the least of his problems. Plus, he didn’t mind putting all his eggs into one basket if it was his family holding that basket. They’d never let him down before. He knew they weren’t about to start now.</p><p> </p><p>	Lance threw his head back with a peal of shimmering laughter as Allura’s hood swallowed her face, the strings taut in her hands, and she let out a shrill squeak from within the fabric. He had left his kids alone with their new aunt for one dobash to kiss his boyfriend hello—<i>one minute!</i>—and Allura was already drowning in her new hoodie while his little royals doubled over with laughter.</p><p>	“Nadia! Sylvio! Don’t torture ‘Lura!” He teased, scooping the two kids up into a hug and dropping a pair of kisses onto their foreheads as he strode towards the glowing map. “That’s my job! Oh man, Ally, can you get out of that?”</p><p>	“Why would I want to?” Queried the princess, spinning with a giggle as the hood remained trapped around her head. “This is quite delightful! I shall have to develop a way to incorporate these into my cloak immediately!”</p><p>	Lance snorted, shaking his head fondly and allowing his gaze to dart down to the matching tattoos glowing on their arms. The soft red light mixed with its bobbing sea lining, casting a purple aura over the siblings as Lance snuck across the room to sweep Allura into a twirling hug, shrieking laughter sparking the air to life between them. Nadia and Sylvio crowed as they were spun across his back, and the light pulsated warmly over them all. It flickered over Allura’s fitted jeans, her oversized white t-shirt, and the floppy pink hoodie Lance had rifled through Rachel’s wardrobe to find. Blue bangles clinked around her wrist as she wrenched the hood from her head, white curls springing forth in a halo over her circlet. Lance grinned up at his sister, the otherworldly glow melding with her Earthen clothes and almost leaving a faint sparkle to the air around her. Allura beamed.</p><p>	“I am glad you have retained your hoodie,” she teased, fingering the white hood draped over his back. “It gives me the opportunity to do this!”</p><p>	Lance let out a squawk as his vision was shrunk down to a pinhole of light, the fabric condensing over his head and his protests drowned out by peals of laughter.</p><p>	“‘Lura!”</p><p>	“Yes, Lan?” Replied Allura innocently, batting her crystalline eyes as if giggles weren’t bubbling through her every word and Lance wasn’t still holding her in the air.</p><p>	“Fxd yve y atuyqe.”</p><p>	Allura smacked his arm with a snorting laugh, and Lance set her down with a matching wave of mirth rocking his shoulders.</p><p>	“Fxd’ve xss th yybr, bvyybe tsxteen,” she shot back, her feet tapping to the ground and her finger bouncing off his forehead. “Or have you forgotten that time with the molten fire trial when the diplomat came into view and you—”</p><p>	“Papi!” Squealed Sylvio, the chocolate-smeared palms of his hands bouncing against the back of Lance’s head. “Papi, Tío Keith took us to the arcade and we played laser tag and the Ultra Beanbag Tournament and pinball! Hey, hey did you know Tío Keith’s reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally good at bumper cars? I told him he should go professional, and he said he’d think about it!”</p><p>	Lance choked on his laugh, blue orbs flickering across the room to meet Keith’s <i>don’t-you-quiznaking-dare </i>glower. Really, Keith should know him better than that by now; that look was just encouragement.</p><p>	“Take him on the carousel some time,” teased Lance, smirking as Keith glared immediate murder at him. “He’s got <i>moves</i>.”</p><p>Keith groaned, dragging his hands down his face as Lance laughed, crouching to let the twins slide off his back and dash towards Tío Keith to shriek out their questions. Sylvio tugged on Keith’s hand, bouncing up and down, and Nadia wrapped her arms around his waist to peer up at him with sparkling eyes as she barraged him with questions. Lance giggled; he had taught her that trick to get extra cookies out of their abuela.</p><p>“Lance?” Called Allura, tugging on the strings of her hoodie, and Lance didn’t even need to see her face to know that her nose was crinkling up like a bunny’s. “Lance, how do I get this off?”</p><p>Keith cackled, shaking his head as he knelt down to return Nadia’s hug. She was so warm, like a bundle of sunshine bursting at the seams, with that glinting edge in her eyes Keith recognized from his mirror every morning. Sylvio squeezed into the hug, latching his arms around Keith and giggling as he nestled against the two. Keith grinned, ruffling Sylvio’s curls softly as he marvelled at how fluid the boy was, like the edge of the ocean that bumped lightly against the shore, welcoming anyone who wanted to come in and play, with that familiar occasional furrow of his brows that cracked Keith’s heart each time. You only needed to lose someone once to never hold those you loved the same way again.</p><p> “What do you want your papi to make for dinner tonight?” Asked Keith, booping Nadia’s nose with a fond smile just like he’d seen Lance do. “We can gang up on him and get your guys’ favorites!”</p><p>“Yesssssss!” Cheered Nadia, pumping her fists in the air and hip-checking her brother cheerily. “Let’s do it! Sylvio really loves Papi’s homemade pizza! Especially when he makes pizza monkey bread!”</p><p>Keith blinked at the bouncing girl, his brain reeling from the whiplash of <i>monkey bread</i>—which he swore on his life was supposed to have bananas, chocolate chips, and cinnamon in it—somehow becoming savory. How much had changed in the year that he’d been gone?</p><p>Sylvio pouted, poking Nadia in the side. She shrieked, dancing away from his tickling attempts, and Sylvio grinned at Keith.</p><p>“Nadia really loves Papi’s fried rice!” He added, smirking as his sister huffed at him. “And she <i>loves</i> churros!”</p><p>Nadia stuck out her tongue at him, and Sylvio cackled triumphantly. Keith’s breath fluttered in his chest, and his necklace bumped lightly against his t-shirt as if to remind him that <i>this was real</i>. That he had a <i>family</i> now. And if that meant he had two rosy-cheeked, sunny eyed children whose version of tattling was to try and make sure their sibling got their favorite dinner, well, he wasn’t complaining.</p><p>Plus, they were cuddly.</p><p>“Hey,” called Keith, giggles slipping into his words as Allura’s latest attempt to ‘help’ Lance get the hood off only managed to snare her brother’s hands in the trap as well; Lance looked resigned to his fate. “Lance, the twins have spoken on dinner! One family size order of pizza…pizza monkey bread(?) and fried rice, along with churros for dessert!”</p><p>Lance squawked, his hands shooting apart and finally freeing Allura from her hooded trap as he stared at the twins in mock betrayal.</p><p>“My secretest of recipes!” He cried, throwing an arm across his forehead and flopping into Allura’s arms. “You have revealed them! Along with my latent talent of turning everything into pizza!”</p><p>Sylvio snickered, and Nadia placed a hand over her heart, an offended gasp slipping from her lips.</p><p>“Not true!” She protested. “We haven’t told him your drama queen recipe!”</p><p>Keith exploded with laughter, clutching his stomach and bending double as tears pricked his eyes and Allura’s shrieks of amusement bounced off the walls. Lance couldn’t pull off an offended face for more than half a tick before he joined in, holding up a high-five for his little princess to clap, and Sylvio cackled, as his papi lifted him up on his shoulders. He was even higher up now than he’d been before.</p><p>“He couldn’t follow it if he wanted to; I’ve been perfecting the recipe since I could first scream,” teased Lance, ruffling his niece’s hair as she giggled up at him. “Unlike a certain someone I know!”</p><p>“Aww, don’t be too harsh on Sylvio,” joked Nadia, practically snorting out her words as she leaned into her papi’s touch.</p><p>Lance let out a ringing peal of laughter, and Keith felt something in his heart melt as he watched his boyfriend swing the kids around the room, their higher-pitched giggles mixing with his to create a symphony. Lance’s face was glowing brighter than any nebula they’d seen together, his gestures were larger than the Castle of Lions, and his smile was more beautiful than Keith could ever have imagined. Everything around them melted away, shifting into spilled white paint as Lance twirled in the center like a blooming dahlia, his joy growing in shimmering ocean blues, velvety reds, and vibrant purples, each tinted with that rich hint of black that wiped away the white universe to prepare it for a fresh coat of paint.</p><p>This was who Lance had always been meant to be. <i>He was the miracle of joy.</i></p><p>Keith felt Allura’s hand press against his back, and he settled his on her shoulder as Lance turned back to them with glimmering eyes so much brighter than they had ever seen before.</p><p>“He is finally home,” she breathed, eyes sparkling with tears that held the light off her smile. “Keith……<i>Keith…!</i>”</p><p>Keith squeezed her shoulder, unable to hide the tremble of his lips as he let out a shaky laugh. He had seen so many families, had bounced between them his whole life, he had gotten used to their jagged edges, their stabbing words, the cracks slowly tearing each person to shreds. He was used to the icy love they offered, conditional and fragile, freezing over everyone it touched until they were left paralyzed, too scared to so much as look the wrong way. Keith was used to families that were fragmented, lumped together, confused and rough.</p><p>The last time he had seen a father look at his children with that unabashed, overflowing love was when his father hugged him goodbye to go put out that final fire.</p><p>Keith giggled, tears hidden in each laugh, and Allura’s palm pressed a little firmer against his back, anchoring him to the present as Lance jogged over, Nadia and Sylvio chattering about their days and a cloud of coziness around them that reminded Keith of the marshmallow fluff Shiro had forced upon him a few years ago. It was almost too soft and pure for him to touch, and suddenly he felt like he had been thrown back a year and a half, afraid to reach out for fear of breaking the first thing he held.</p><p>“Come on!” Called Lance, twining their fingers and bringing up his hand to kiss with an overly flirtatious grin; Nadia cheered so hard she nearly fell off the Papichoo Express, and Sylvio gave in to a fit of giggles as Keith’s cheeks started to outshine their strawberry fields. “Let’s go home, Keith!”</p><p>Lance seized Allura’s hand giving her a royal bow, and squirmed to position Nadia and Sylvio more comfortably across his back. He flashed a sunshine grin at Keith, squeezing his hand and letting his thumb rub softly over those battle-hardened knuckles that had been beaten bloody so many times to get them to this point, to bring them home. And Lance would carry them those last few steps home if it was the last thing he did.</p><p>“Last one home is a rotten egg!” Taunted Lance, winking at Keith. “You’ve got ‘Lura, Samurai?”</p><p>“You bet,” replied Keith, squeezing Lance’s hand and blowing him a silent kiss that sent butterflies waltzing in his stomach. “I’ll see you at home, Sharpshooter.”</p><p> </p><p>Pidge poked her head through the door with a beep from Rover, her backpack bulging behind her, but not enough to hide the waving Hunk. Lance grinned, throwing the door open wide and practically yanking his friends inside.</p><p>“Welcome to my humble abode!” He said, sweeping an arm around the living room where the rest of their space family was already lounging in their rainbow-colored blanket fortress. “If you guys need a little more food, there’s leftover pizza monkey bread in the kitchen.”</p><p>Hunk squealed, grabbing Lance by the arms and staring at him with pure glowing eyes.</p><p>“DUDE?! YOU MADE YOUR PIZZA MONKEY BREAD AND DIDN’T INVITE ME?!” He shrieked, shaking his best friend like a dummy. “THAT STUFF IS HEAVENLY!”</p><p>Lance flailed, shushing Hunk insistently, eyes darting upstairs and entire body going tense as a steel pillar.</p><p>“The twins are asleep!” He hissed. “Don’t wake them up!”</p><p>Hunk clapped both hands over his mouth and Pidge snickered, patting his back as she dumped her backpack on the couch beside Krolia and started fishing out her share of the blankets.</p><p>As happy as everyone was to be back home with their families, as quick as they were to run home for a family dinner, and as careful as they were to pick up calls and talk for a solid varga throughout the day, whenever the sun set and they couldn’t touch one another, couldn’t bicker over who got more marshmallows, couldn’t say goodnight and know that they would protect one another if there was an emergency……it sent them grappling for cell phones, desperate to hear everyone’s voices if nothing else. And, well, from that first night when Lance offered for them to come have a sleepover at his house, he had never needed to offer another invitation. Everyone knew to come before ten o’clock, and they knew what to bring.</p><p>Pidge yanked out her pillow, chucking it into the back of Keith’s head with a cackle, and dashed out of the room with pajamas under one arm and the other raised to prevent any retaliation. As if Rover would let anything touch her. Lance just shook his head with a laugh, and Hunk dashed past him to devour the pizza monkey bread. Keith chuckled, holding his arms out for Lance, and Lance barely resisted the urge to coo as he walked over to join his boyfriend. Shiro was reading, Adam snuggled against his side and already half-asleep, and Allura was whispering (stuttering and blushing profusely) with Acxa, fingers just brushing together. Coran was laying a few feet away, his eyes shining brighter than the fairy lights draped over the walls to mimic the Castleship’s lighting, and his lips settled in a content smile as he nodded off to the sound of his space daughter giggling with her first love. Krolia was still passed out on the couch, Hunk’s outburst having done nothing to disturb her slumber, and Matt was cackling over a video game below her. Kuron had insisted on living at the Garrison despite the fact that Shiro’s apartment had also been offered to him and, if he had the same difficulties the rest of them did, he refused to join in on the slumber parties. Lotor had no such reservations, and was currently flopped on his stomach perusing one of Veronica’s magazines with her, the two quietly squealing over the latest ruffle patterns.</p><p>Lance bit back the desire to throw Lotor out by his hair; the emperor wasn’t the one he was mad at. The fact that Veronica hadn’t even kissed the twins goodnight though…</p><p>“Sleep, Lance,” whispered Keith, kissing Lance’s cheek. “You’re going to need it tomorrow. Plus, if you don’t, Pidge is going to keep you up for hours trying to figure out your guys’ mini mind meld in that last battle, and then we’ll all be up past midnight.”</p><p>Lance giggled, returning the kiss and snuggling down under the covers to curl up in his boyfriend’s arms. He rested his head on Keith’s shoulder and blew out a gentle breath, reveling in the knowledge that his little royals were slumbering peacefully upstairs. He gave a blissful sigh, pecking a kiss to Keith’s lips before tucking his head back against his boyfriend’s chest to listen to his thundering heartbeat.</p><p>“Goodnight, mi amor,” he murmured. “Sleep well, sweet dreams.”</p><p>Keith let out a choked reply, and Lance giggled, his eyes already sliding shut. “I love you too.”</p><p>And, as Adam and Shiro chuckled behind them, Lance and Keith flashed a smirk at each other. <i>Oh</i>, they couldn't wait for tomorrow!</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p><p>Ohohoho, what are they planning?</p><p>Fxd yve y atuyqe=You are a menace<br/>Fxd’ve xss th yybr, bvyybe tsxteen=You're one to talk, little brother</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Come All That May</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Keith gave an offended squawk, making a grab at Shiro and forcing the older man to dive into the indicated room, a laugh bursting free of him as he ran from his little brother. His mom gave a warning cry, and there was a flurry of movement out of the corner of his eye just as Shiro registered the darkness of the room. The Blue Paladin froze, a breath ghosting out of his lips as the room flooded his vision, and his heart stuttered in his chest. Lance twisted from where he was crouched just centimeters in front of Shiro, shoulders wide to shield Pidge, eyes whipping around the stunned figure to glare at the door.</p>
<p>	“Mullet!” He shouted. “What did I say about knocking?”</p>
<p>	“Uhhhh, don’t remember, didn’t happen,” came Keith’s floating reply, and Lance rolled his eyes up to the heavens.</p>
<p>	Shiro didn’t even notice. All his breath slipped away, his fingers going limp as tears surged into his eyes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>	“LANCE, HOW DID YOU ALREADY GET GLITTER IN YOUR HAIR?!” Screeched Adam as Lance nearly sent the older man out of his skin (and through the roof) by tumbling out of a utility closet clutching a box of fairy lights. “IT’S FIVE IN THE MORNING, IT’S TOO EARLY FOR GLITTER!”</p>
<p>	Lance pouted up at him, kicking the utility closet shut and sticking out his tongue at the Admiral.</p>
<p>	“It’s never too early for glitter! Especially when it keeps you safe in the art closet while Keith and Allura are arguing,” he retorted, grinning. “Have you heard those two go at it?! It’s nuts! They were <i>full-on screaming</i> at each other one minute over whether glitter glue is as big a sin as normal glitter, and then they were both nodding and chatting about breakfast when I came back! Apparently they had ‘just been having a quaint debate’ and had ‘come to a conclusion that was mutually satisfactory’ or something,” grumbled Lance, making air quotes. “Psychos, the two of them! Also, since when are you an Admiral? That’s, like, two promotions!”</p>
<p>	“You should have heard yourself and Keith when you two were first aboard the Castleship,” deadpanned Adam. “And by going on way too many missions to find my idiot.”</p>
<p>	“You weren’t there to hear us! And, uh, congrats?”</p>
<p>	“I don’t need to have to know exactly what it would have sounded like. And, uh, thanks?” Teased Adam, mimicking his little brother and earning a tongue stuck out at him in retribution. “Hey, Lance? Have you managed to talk to your family about…?”</p>
<p>	Lance scrunched up his face in reply, readjusting his grip on the box and cracking his neck as if shaking his head. Coming out was an operation and a half apparently, with his mother darting everywhere trying to get together a welcoming party for him. Luis and Rachel had transferred to different colleges, so getting them back home was a feat that required far too many telephone calls. Veronica had scored herself a position at the Garrison, so she had already come back and, when Marco finished his trade program, the two had found an apartment nearby. It gave Lance plenty of time to be bathed in his siblings’ attention, and yet he still couldn’t get those crucial words in edgewise.</p>
<p>	“I’ll keep trying,” decided Lance, cracking his shoulders and shooting a grin at Adam. “Plus, we’ve got bigger things to attend to first.”</p>
<p>Adam sighed, and Lance hip-checked him with a bubbling laugh. “So, shall we get going?” He asked, eyebrows waggling. “Or do I have to drag you <i>and</i> this box at the same time? Because if that’s the route we’re going, I guarantee one of you is going to fall, and since you’re not made of glass, well…”</p>
<p>	Adam’s eyebrow twitched, and Lance shot him a wicked grin as he began down the hall. “Just saying, I think you’re probably going to want to walk on your own~”</p>
<p>	“You are a menace,” groaned Adam, crossing his arms. “You know I can just run out now if I wanted to?”</p>
<p>	Lance turned, feet settling to a stop in the middle of the long hallway, shoulders open as he locked eyes with Adam.</p>
<p>	“Do you want to?” Asked Lance, his voice soft and sky-blue eyes fixing Adam in place, jamming the older man’s words in his throat and leaving a pang of silence in the air. “If you want to run, you know I’d toss this box back in there and keep time with you every step of the way, right?”</p>
<p>	Adam swallowed, hands sliding into his pocket and necklace swinging listlessly against his chest. Lance never once flinched.</p>
<p>“I know,” stated Adam, chin rising and smile spreading like light across the night sky. “<i>If you run, you don’t run alone, hermano</i>. That’s how we’ve always been.”</p>
<p>Lance nodded, and Adam shoved his shoulder into the smaller boy’s, nearly knocking him off his feet.</p>
<p>“Hey—!”</p>
<p>“There’s nothing to be worried about,” promised Adam, glasses catching the glow off his smile. “I’ve been waiting for this quintant for decaphoebs. No way I’m backing out now. Now, he’s spent the day with Keith and his mom, right?”</p>
<p>“Yep!” Affirmed Lance, his shoulder bouncing off of Adam’s as the two started down the hall. “Apparently, they dragged him through one of his favorite arcades as a kid, and he <i>dominated</i> at laser tag! You should have seen his face when he found out he was playing against Matt and Curtis and Seok; he felt sooooooo bad for crushing them! But then Sam and Colleen joined their team, and Shiro had no problem blitzing them with Keith and his mom.”</p>
<p>Adam cackled, ruffling Lance’s hair as he kicked open the door, nearly nailing a now-screeching Pidge in the face with it.</p>
<p>“Good; that was always his favorite game,” he breathed, taking in the flashes of lights and faint whirs of Team Punk tinkering, drawing out the memories that this room had always held for Adam and Shiro. “So, the rest of the plan…? Everything’s going smoothly?”</p>
<p>“If you mean keeping Shiro away from work, then only by the skin of Keith’s teeth!” Replied Lance, dumping the box of fairy lights over Pidge’s head as she tried to claw him. “The only way he was able to convince Shiro to go window shopping around the mall was by telling him it was for a formal conference tonight that would go for, uh, I think he said four vargas? When he said that, Mrs. Shirogane insisted that Shiro get a suit that he would feel and look best in, so I think that should work?”</p>
<p>“Lunch?”</p>
<p>“At that great Lebanese place with everyone that you took Shiro to for your first date!” Shouted Lance, streaking across the room and clambering up the room as Pidge tore after him, still dripping with strings of lights. “He apparently even ordered dessert and cracked about five horrible jokes, so he’s really relaxed! They’re taking him out to race hoverbikes for the evening, and Hunk installed a little speaker in everyone’s bikes so they can blast their <i>Fast and Furious</i> musi—ACK! PIDGE!”</p>
<p>“Revenge, you ape!” Came Pidge’s smug reply as Lance recoiled from the flashing rainbow of lights assaulting his eyes.</p>
<p>“Gremlin!”</p>
<p>“Be glad you still have your <i>kneecaps</i>, Sharpshooter!”</p>
<p>	“Do not worry, Adam,” said Allura, moving to his side and ignoring the shrieking of her siblings as they ran laps around the room, distributing fairy lights while trying to catch the other. “I have just received a message from Matt; everything is going just as we hoped. Apparently, Shiro started crying upon finding his new hoverbike and demanded Matt record a video for you because he wanted to express his gratitude immediately, but as it was ninety percent incomprehensible due to his tears, the one that I believe is called Curtis told him to thank you after the meeting when he had gathered a little more composure.”</p>
<p>	Allura scrolled down her phone as it vibrated in her hand, Altean marks pulsing a faint dance as the lines around her eyes melted away. “None of us have ever seen him happier, Adam,” she added softly, her hair taking on color as the fairy lights began to flicker on. “Neither his family on Earth nor space. So, thank you,” she said, offering Adam her phone, where Shiro’s overwhelming grin lit up the screen as he ruffled Keith’s hair aboard his new hoverbike, “for bringing such joy to the one who deserves it most.”</p>
<p>	Adam swallowed, fingers ghosting over his boyfriend’s face, and his heart lurched forwards as if to wrap the beautiful, familiar man on the screen in a hug. He hadn’t seen that expression in a long, <i>long</i> time.</p>
<p>	<i>“Whoa! Adam, just think! Someday, we’re going to be flying out and seeing those stars up close and personal!” Squealed Takashi, eyes flitting between the stars of home planetarium the new cadets had just managed to finish making, and the boy with the rich almond eyes sprawled beside him in the abandoned room. “Do you think we’ll find new ones?”</i></p>
<p>
  <i>	“I mean, a) we’re already pretty close and personal with these,” teased Adam, his eyes still fixated by the sparkles of light overhead, “and b) nah, space travel probably won’t progress to that point in our lifetime.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Hmph! Well, I’ll make them advance, then!” Declared Shiro, his tiny hand straining up towards the ceiling, and Adam swallowed down the desire to take it in his own. “I want to see all the stars in the universe!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Hmmmm?” Hummed Adam, folding his arms beneath his head and smiling at the boy beside him. “How about we see them together, then?”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Really?!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Yeah,” managed Adam, a laugh blossoming in his words. “You can be the pilot, and I’ll be your communications officer! We can find some cool engineer like Mr. Holt and see it all for ourselves!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	Shiro’s black eyes glowed brighter than any of the stars overhead then, and he seized Adam’s prone arm, yanking it into the air and linking their pinkies. Adam’s cheeks went scarlet, and Shiro gave a cackle next to him, as if he could feel the racing heart matching his own, and Adam tightened his grasp around the pinkie. A smile curled across his lips, and Shiro grinned as if to outshine the sun outside. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“It’s a promise, then!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Sure…It’s a promise, Takashi.”</i>
</p>
<p>	“He’s back,” breathed Adam. “He’s really back, Allura.”</p>
<p>	Allura’s eyes crinkled, understanding flashing like a spark through them in a way that Adam wished wasn’t possible with someone still so young. He wished everyone in that Castle had been given more of a chance to be kids. To be free.</p>
<p>	“He is,” she agreed, tucking her phone back in her pocket, free hand settling on Adam’s shoulder and crystalline eyes sparkling in the sudden pale light as Hunk gave a cry of triumph behind her. “And he will never leave you again. We will ensure it, all of us. As a family.”</p>
<p>	Adam felt the tension slide from his shoulders at her touch, at the squeals of Lance and Pidge dressing up the room while exploding into a full prank war, at the scent of Hunk’s cooking wafting through the room, at the stars glowing over his head. He breathed in deeply and, steadily, exhaled.</p>
<p>	“In that case, I’ll go suit up,” stated Adam, brown eyes glowing as the room came to life around him, “because I know better than to be afraid if its you guys at my back.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I…I didn’t know they held meetings in here now,” murmured Shiro as Keith gestured to the door, his heart dropping down into his shoes as years of inside-stargazing with Adam, whatever home planetarium they had cobbled together sitting between them on the floor, fell away under the weight of meetings and paperwork.</p>
<p>	Keith shrugged, picking at the hair band around his wrist as if to conceal the way his eyes flickered to his watch.</p>
<p>	“Maybe they don’t and there just wasn’t another room available,” he suggested. “It’s a pretty impromptu meeting.”</p>
<p>	“And it won’t be the last one,” agreed Shiro with a snort, though his eyes still stung. “Planning isn’t exactly the Garrison’s strong suit.”</p>
<p>	Keith smirked, elbowing Shiro’s side and drawing a laugh out of his older brother.</p>
<p>	“Yeah, anyone who took your class on astrophysics could tell that,” he teased, and Curtis made a hissing sound behind the two like something was burning as Matt asked his dad if he had any aloe vera.</p>
<p>	“And certainly anyone would think that if they saw your study guides for calculus,” replied Shiro without missing a beat, a smirk curling at his lip.</p>
<p>	Keith gave an offended squawk, making a grab at Shiro and forcing the older man to dive into the indicated room, a laugh bursting free of him as he ran from his little brother. His mom gave a warning cry, and there was a flurry of movement out of the corner of his eye just as Shiro registered the darkness of the room. The Blue Paladin froze, a breath ghosting out of his lips as the room flooded his vision, and his heart stuttered in his chest. Lance twisted from where he was crouched just centimeters in front of Shiro, shoulders wide to shield Pidge, eyes whipping around the stunned figure to glare at the door.</p>
<p>	“Mullet!” He shouted. “What did I say about knocking?”</p>
<p>	“Uhhhh, don’t remember, didn’t happen,” came Keith’s floating reply, and Lance rolled his eyes up to the heavens.</p>
<p>	Shiro didn’t even notice. All his breath slipped away, his fingers going limp as tears surged into his eyes. The room was pitch-black except for the stars shining across the wall, the ceiling, the table full of home cooking, across <i>everything</i> the light could reach. The cushions and bean bags along the floor, the faces and bodies of his entire family as they filed in, the only exception to the projection of stars being the collection of familiar home planetariums in a circle on the floor. Shiro pressed a hand over his mouth, a laugh bordering on a sob breaking free. A glowing rainbow of star stickers stretched over the wall, the lines slightly squiggly, and fairy lights strung up along the walls to illuminate a walkway of pictures stretching up stairs to an open hallway.</p>
<p>	Shiro’s free hand pressed to his chest as if to contain the crashing of his heart, eyes shining brighter than any night sky, and Keith gave him a soft push forwards.</p>
<p>	“Go on,” he murmured, smile sending ripples through the fairy lights captured in his eyes. “Soulmates can’t argue forever, you know.”</p>
<p>	Shiro gave another hitching laugh, any words dying at the utter confidence in Keith’s words, the <i>surety</i> that this was how it was meant to be. How could he possibly do anything but prove that right?</p>
<p>	Music lilted into the air, nearly choking Shiro as his fingertips brushed over the first memory they shared. Movie night in the Garrison, <i>Moulin Rouge</i>. They had gotten into a varga-long argument that ended up dragging the whole class into a debate over Satine’s decision at the end to reach out to Christian again. That discussion had become a tradition for them every year on the anniversary of what Adam liked to joke was their first date. And it had all started right here. In this room.</p>
<p>	“Never knew I could feel like this,” came Adam’s voice, the song soaring like a shooting star through the air as Shiro’s eyes drowned in the printed memories of his time with the love of his life. “Like I’ve never seen the sky before.”</p>
<p>	There was the time Adam had dumped cereal over Shiro’s head to distract him from having failed his first chemistry quiz, yanking the table into a food fight and shouting that <i>You have bigger things to worry about than that grade, Takashi! Like getting hit in the face with this cafeteria’s excuse for sausage!</i> They had wound up in detention for a week, and Adam spent the entire time sending notes back and forth with Shiro. His mom had been extraordinarily amused by their letters, chuckling about romance before blowing the flustered seventh grader a kiss and hanging up their FaceTime call. Shiro had promptly called Adam.</p>
<p>“Want to vanish inside your kiss.<br/>
Every day I love you more and more,” sang Adam, smile soft against his lips as Pidge gave him the thumbs-up before disappearing out the door with a positively glowing Lance.</p>
<p>	There was the time Shiro had pulled his entire flight class into watching live footage of the launch of their latest rocket at the time. Adam had been tutoring one of their classmates and had warned Shiro he wouldn’t be able to make it; Shiro had spent the entire time on his phone texting updates to Adam and squealing at him about the rocket, completely missing the leaping cheer the rest of the class did when they had liftoff. He had been too busy fainting from the little orange heart Adam had tagged on to his paragraph-long <i>thank-you</i> text.</p>
<p>	He still had the screenshots from that.<br/>
“Listen to my heart,<br/>
Can you hear it sing?<br/>
Telling me to give you everything!”</p>
<p>	Shiro stifled a tear-soaked laugh as he found the picture of him asking Adam to the Spring Dance. The poor sleep-deprived husk of his future boyfriend had shot out of his boots and screeched like a banshee a good ten ticks after Shiro had stuttered the words out. Weird, he had stared at this one for vargas before and, somehow, he had never noticed the way Adam’s glasses had arced over the crowd and landed in Curtis’ hands like a bridal bouquet. No wonder the two of them had grown into such a warmly antagonistic relationship after that quintant. They were strangely great friends now.</p>
<p>	He saw the two of them, dress shirts drenched in mud from being thrown out of the cafeteria vibrant with colored lights, leaping atop a table and dancing away from the yelling teachers as they scream-sang along with the music. Gays weren’t allowed at the dance; so what? Adam had snagged a microphone somehow and proceeded to tap dance just beyond Iverson’s grasp as he belted out <i>Born This Way</i> and matched his steps perfectly with his partner’s, though he was across the room on his own table.</p>
<p>	Shiro had never thought anyone could look more beautiful than Adam had in those moments, body lithe as a cougar’s, streaks of magenta, blue, and lavender bouncing off his hair, and eyes flaming with pride. They had dove out the window just ticks later, which Matt had gotten inexplicably good photos of for someone who was supposedly too young to be there.</p>
<p>“Seasons may change,<br/>
Winter to spring,” sang Adam, his voice sliding down into a softness Shiro knew painfully well was reserved for him. “But I love you.<br/>
Until the end of time.”</p>
<p>The Garrison had outed Adam to his parents when reporting the incident. Adam hadn’t realized it would be the last time he ever heard the voices of the ones who raised him, who had cheered and thrown him in the air with pride when he was accepted to the Garrison, who had promised to love him unconditionally when he picked up the phone a movement later. Shiro would never forget that call; how could he possibly forget the way the life drained from Adam’s eyes, his hands, his voice, his heart as he stated <i>I won’t apologize for defending who I am. We Wazirs are proud. We don’t take insults lying down and we don’t compromise, isn’t that what you’ve always taught me?</i></p>
<p>The click of Adam’s family hanging up on their son haunted Shiro to this day. But it had nothing on the way his boyfriend dropped his phone and stood unmoving for a long, excruciating tick, staring at the picture of his parents hugging him on his ninth birthday as he blew out the candles. Then he bent double, dropping to his knees and burying his face in his lap as he screamed. It was a wordless cry that tore apart Shiro’s heart, claws ripping at the shreds of it as he staggered to Adam’s side and curled around him in a wordless hug.</p>
<p>Adam didn’t stop screaming for a long time.</p>
<p>“Come what may,” promised Adam, his voice unbreakable, blowing over the music and dragging Shiro from the memory of his love crying on the floor as his world crumbled to pieces around him. “Come what may,<br/>
I will love you,<br/>
Until my dying day.”</p>
<p>	Shiro ran a finger over the picture of himself giving a speech as the representative of their class at the Promotion Ceremony, the official transfer of the best students from the Garrison’s training school to the space programs. Keith, Hunk, and Lance had all been through the same thing, though Pidge had dodged it by transferring directly into the space program.</p>
<p>	Shiro could still feel the stage beneath his feet, the heat of the light’s glow on his skin, the way it couldn’t even compare to the blaze inside his stomach. He had pulled the microphone right up to his lips and spent the five dobashes he was allowed on stage slamming homophobia. Worrying about who was in love with whom shouldn’t affect a space program, for crying out loud! They were going out into space to learn about the stars, the planets, the aliens, not to be fooling around, and if a person was going to do that then they shouldn’t be in the space program regardless of sexuality! He lashed out at the Garrison staff for promoting hatred with their bans, for not even having a GSA, and for making students feel that they were inferior because of something beautiful about themselves that they could never change. He swore to everyone, in front of his entire class then, that he would install the first GSA in the high school because everyone deserved to be loved unconditionally.</p>
<p>	It was the first time in over a phoeb that Shiro had looked back and seen a genuine smile, however tiny, curled over Adam’s lips.</p>
<p>“Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place,” interrupted Shiro, fingers tracing the twin grins that outshone the sun as the couple ran into their first days in the space program. “Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace.”</p>
<p>He could practically see Adam’s smile, could hear his teasing laugh and <i>you just couldn’t resist stealing the show, could you Takashi?</i> as if it wasn’t him who had taught Shiro how to be a drama queen. Their voices melded, sliding over one another’s as if they had been made to create a symphony together.</p>
<p>“Suddenly my life doesn’t seem such a waste.<br/>
“It all revolves around you,” added Shiro, a smile tugging at his lips as the fairy lights gave a pulse around him.</p>
<p>Adam’s voice came back then, tears sparkling like diamonds on each word, and Shiro barely held in his own sob. How had he gotten this cosmically lucky?</p>
<p>“And there’s no mountain too high,<br/>
No river too wide,<br/>
Sing out this song and I’ll be there by your side.”</p>
<p>	Just like they always had been. Adam had been standing right next to him when Shiro told his mom that they were more than friends. She had continued cooking and said <i>yes, of course, now what’s your big news, my dear?</i> And it had been Adam who had nearly fallen over, howling with laughter as Shiro ran around screaming that everyone had known before them, and his mother had giggled contentedly as she added more tempura to the pan and asked Adam if he’d like to stay for dinner.</p>
<p>“Storm clouds may gather,<br/>
And stars may collide,” the couple sang, each filling the cracks and fractures in the other’s voice, just like they always had for their lover’s heart.</p>
<p>	Because it had been Shiro who had been there when Adam came back from his trip to Cuba over two vargas late, well past three in the morning, a tiny cup of yogurt in one hand and Adam’s noise-cancelling headphones in the other. Of course, both of those went flying when he dashed across the room and tackled his boyfriend the tick he stepped off the plane, a near giddy <i>Hi, angel!</i> tumbling from his lips and springing tears to Adam’s eyes. What had he possibly done to get so lucky?</p>
<p>“But I love you,” promised Adam, and Shiro’s voice shattered in his throat as he choked out his response.</p>
<p>“I love you.”</p>
<p>“Until the end of time,” they sang, and Shiro’s heart stuttered as he saw the next photograph that had slid beneath his fingers.</p>
<p>It was of him, Adam, and Krolia when they had been flying back to the Castle of Lions; Adam had turned every light in the room to an obnoxious blend of neon yellow and bright red, so he was booking it out of the room as he swung the camera around and flashed a peace sign, Shiro in the background desperately trying to keep Krolia from skewering Adam with her luxite blade.</p>
<p>The next was of Adam and Krolia mechanically dissecting <i>Mamma Mia</i> while Shiro flailed in protest beside them, a laugh just barely tipping into Adam’s flat line of a mouth.</p>
<p>There was one of the paladins dog-piling Shiro, one of Lance yanking Adam into the photo, and one with the most absurd faces humanly possible along with the Alteans swelling up their heads like balloons and scaring the living daylights out of the Holt siblings.</p>
<p>There was one of Adam holding up a finger to his lips while his free hand ran through Shiro’s hair, head resting in his lap as the Blue Paladin <i>finally</i> napped after vargas of Lion training with Hunk. Adam had gone to the observation deck to watch, analyzing their flight patterns and then inspecting the Lions’ structures to offer whatever advice he could on optimizing their flying strengths. Whatever he could do to protect his boyfriend, to give him a better world to live in, a safer universe, he would do without a second thought. He would fly into any situation, no matter the risks, if it meant Shiro could live the rest of his life in peace once this war was over.</p>
<p>“Come what may,” the two were half-crying as they sang, and one thought screamed on repeat through Shiro’s head. “Come what may.”</p>
<p>	<i>Maybe Adam doesn’t regret our time in space?</i></p>
<p>“I will love you until my dying day!”</p>
<p>	The stars projected across the room flickered, flashing a molten gold before shrinking in on themselves, slipping away and retreating up onto the ceiling. Shiro’s eyes tracked the movement, tears stealing the light off the stars as he caught sight of Adam in the corner opposite of him, arm looped around a ladder as he began to slide down.</p>
<p>	A flash of light snapped Shiro’s gaze back to the ceiling, and his heart swelled, swelled, swelled in his chest until he pressed a hand to his lips to keep it from escaping. His intake of breath fractured before ever reaching his throat, and a rainbow of tears streamed down his cheeks in a flood.</p>
<p>	The stars had joined together, spilling into words that formed the symbol of Voltron across the ceiling, and Shiro’s heart lurched as he heard Adam’s boots hit the floor. His other hand flew up to stifle the sob as it rippled through his body, nearly knocking him to his knees at the force of the dream he had long abandoned stretched over the darkened tiles in forty-one words.</p>
<p>“Oh, come what may!<br/>
Come what may!”</p>
<p>	<i>Next semester, this room will be used for the activities of the Garrison’s first official Gender-Sexuality Alliance, created by Takashi Shirogane and established by Adam Wazir. May we always cherish, honor, protect, and show our love for those we hold dear.</i></p>
<p>“I will love you!” Choked out Shiro, the heels of his hands grinding into his eyes and squeezing out more tears as Adam’s familiar touch fell on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Oh, I will love you,” promised Adam. “Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place.”</p>
<p>	His fingers gently tugged at Shiro’s, pulling them free of his eyes and enfolding them in his own, tears streaming down his cheeks and a smile splitting the face that Shiro had watched grow for over ten years now. That he had loved relentlessly the whole time. That he would watch for all of eternity, that he would see grow wrinkled and gray with as much admiration and devotion as he had watched it grow sharp and chiseled.</p>
<p>	He tangled their fingers together, and the light of Voltron shone down over the couple as they sang out the end of the song that had first united them, tears glittering in their words where there had once been criticism, and love glowing in eyes that had once held nothing but irritation. They had grown together, side-by-side, hand-in-hand, hearts beating only for one another whether they were together or not. And nothing could possibly change that going forwards.</p>
<p>“Come what may!<br/>
Come what may!<br/>
I will love you,<br/>
Until my dying day!”</p>
<p>	The music crescendoed behind them in an explosion of color, and Adam sank to one knee, the ring box nearly slipping from his fingers as he pulled it from his pocket and tears already dripping from his cheeks.</p>
<p>	“Takashi, from the moment I met you, my life has been infinitely better. Whether we were laughing, crying, y-yelling, joking, smiling, or just li-living beside each other, I know that every moment I’ve shared this universe with you has made my w-world brighter. Just knowing that you-that you’re out there makes my heart s-skip a b-beat, it reminds me that I-I-I’m safe, it makes me straighten up and try just-just a little h-harder because…because you deserve the most be-beautiful l-life that imagination has t-to offer.”</p>
<p>Shiro sniffled, and Adam grabbed a travel packet of tissues from his other pocket, offering it to the sobbing love of his life. “You deserve e-endless joy, to never forget how worthy an-and loved you are, to come home every day to a f-f-family who will honor and adore you beyond death, in a universe that is safe and peaceful. You deserve everything, Takashi.<br/>
“I’m so grateful for what we’ve had, for all of it, and I-I know, I’ve always known, th-th-that there was no one but you I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. You have al-have always been the one for me.”</p>
<p>	Shiro gave a laughing sob, joy sparkling brighter than a Balmeran crystal in his eyes and pooling in the tears dripping off his cheeks.</p>
<p>	“Y-you were a-all there was f-for me too,” he choked out, and Adam gave a laugh.</p>
<p>	“We-we’re messes ri-right now, aren’t we?”</p>
<p>	“When are we not?” Replied Shiro with a chuckle, rubbing tissues fiercely over his face as if that could hide the hitches of breath rippling through his body.</p>
<p>	Adam let out a long, slow breath, and opened the ring box containing the engagement ring he had talked Takashi into giving him so he could ‘resize it’ in exchange for his own.</p>
<p>	“Takashi Shirogane,” he said softly, “will you take my hand for a-all of eternity and l-let me try to give you a l-lifetime of happiness? Will you marry me?”</p>
<p>	Shiro’s eyes swam with joy squeezed into tears, one hand clutched in Adam’s and the other clutched over his heart.</p>
<p>	“Obviously, y-you dork,” he managed. “But o-only if you say yes t-to my proposal tomorrow. Geez, why’d you h-have to do this the day before they f-finished resizing your ring?”</p>
<p>	“Because I didn’t have t-to resize your ring~”</p>
<p>	Shiro made a face at Adam, and the taller man let out a barking laugh as fresh tears pricked at his eyes; he was going to look like a mess at the dinner after this that Hunk had planned. But Takashi was worth it. He was always, always, <i>always worth everything</i>.</p>
<p>“Of course I’m going to say y-yes, you idiot,” he replied, sliding the ring onto Shiro’s finger and rising right into a kiss. “I’ve got a li-lifetime left to love you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shiro cackled, tears still shining against his cheeks as Keith threw his arms around the newly engaged couple, Lance’s tackle-hug nearly knocking all three of them off their feet, and Adam’s laughter filling up the room. Pidge clambered up on Matt’s shoulders, whistling and whooping while Allura spun Hunk around, and Coran catapulted around the room, crowing. Curtis and Seok sprayed confetti around the room, Mr. Holt shrieking with joy even when his popper didn’t work, and Mrs. Shirogane covered her sons’ cheeks in kisses, the lights shining around the room having nothing on her eyes.</p>
<p>Adam laughed, squeezing Lance close to him and ruffling Keith’s hair.</p>
<p>“Thanks for everything, you two,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to Shiro’s cheek. “If it weren’t for your little space jig, we never would have found each other again. You brought us back together.”</p>
<p>“Does that mean I’m not stuck being the flower girl at your wedding?” Teased Lance, tears still pricking his eyes even as Adam let out his booming, signature laugh.</p>
<p>“Who knows? I might have to upgrade you to a ring bearer,” replied Adam, hip-checking his little brother.</p>
<p>Lance threw a hand over his forehead, gasping and pretending to swoon back into Keith’s arms.</p>
<p>“Babe, I am being underappreciated and belittled,” he whined, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards against his will.</p>
<p>“Square up, Adam,” said Keith, grinning even as he jokingly raised his fists and left his boyfriend to flop to the floor with a yelp.</p>
<p>Shiro laughed, offering a hand to help Lance up.</p>
<p>“The evil has been defeated,” he teased, tugging Lance to his feet as the Black Paladin pouted at his boyfriend.</p>
<p>“Ruuuuuude!” Complained Lance, folding his arms and puffing out his cheeks.</p>
<p>Pidge cackled, jumping on Lance’s back and perching her chin atop his head as she grinned at the fiances.</p>
<p>“Congratulations, you two!” She chirped. “If you make me a flower girl at your wedding, I’m engineering the flowers to fly at you and chop off your heads.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, congrats!” Cheered Hunk, clapping a hand down on Keith’s shoulder and beaming at Shiro. “You two are going to be so happy together!”</p>
<p>“That is a guarantee,” agreed Allura, linking arms with Hunk and placing a hand on Pidge’s back to keep the stumbling Lance from toppling to the floor. “And I shall make sure your wedding is marvelous!”</p>
<p>“I have no doubt of it,” replied Adam, smirking as he wove his fingers with Shiro’s. “Now come on over here, all of you!”</p>
<p>The group fell into a hug, their cackling and shoving and ruffling dominating the circle as they clung to each other, for once, in delight instead of fear or relief. This was just pure joy for the future.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
<p>Also, Shiro's mom's reaction to his relationship with Adam?? And Adam's reaction to her reaction?? That was my mom's when I told her I was dating my best friend, and my partner's when they heard her reaction over the phone!! I was a screaming mess XD Aaaaa, I love them both.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Everything We’re Not</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Pidge growled quietly, digging a fist into her eye to wipe away the blurriness and continuing to click away in the darkened kitchen. And yes, she knew that she had already triple-checked the coordinates for everyone’s flights in case they had to leave before she was back, run through the rate of fuel consumption for each ship (especially Coran’s; that old Altean battleship Hunk had found and tinkered back into fighting shape a few quintants ago had still been smoking the last Pidge had seen of it), confirmed that Hunk and Lance’s latest device could translate written Galran to English, and she had even configured three of her newest devices to hack more efficiently into Galran systems, but it still didn’t feel like enough. She would need all the help she could get if she was breaking into <i>Haggar’s</i> flagship.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pidge growled quietly, digging a fist into her eye to wipe away the blurriness and continuing to click away in the darkened kitchen. And yes, she knew that she had already triple-checked the coordinates for everyone’s flights in case they had to leave before she was back, run through the rate of fuel consumption for each ship (especially Coran’s; that old Altean battleship Hunk had found and tinkered back into fighting shape a few quintants ago had still been smoking the last Pidge had seen of it), confirmed that Hunk and Lance’s latest device could translate written Galran to English, and she had even configured three of her newest devices to hack more efficiently into Galran systems, but it still didn’t feel like enough. She would need all the help she could get if she was breaking into <i>Haggar’s</i> flagship.</p>
<p>Pidge flinched away from the witch’s snarling face that flashed through her mind, fingers fumbling over the code and brushing against the searing edge of her computer. For a second, she swore it was that electricity Haggar shot from her fingers (force lightning much?) and she hissed, punching the delete key and undoing the gibberish excuse for code she had knocked in. Pidge knew that if her mother saw her then, she would say Pidge was being “unreasonable” and would run through all the logic of why every member of the Volron family would be perfectly safe even if she didn’t do this stuff, even if she stayed at home, and Pidge would sit there and nod along until it was over. Because, if there was one thing she had learned from living with Keith and Lance, it was that logic didn’t rule emotions. Sure, Keith wasn’t permanently replacing Shiro when he stepped up to be their Black Paladin, but Pidge had just looked at her stolen glasses and placed her hand on his back instead. She knew how it felt to step into your big brother’s shoes. And sure, no one in that Castle of Lions was related by blood, but that hadn’t stopped Lance from taking them into his arms and his heart, claiming them as his family and loving them just as unconditionally. Pidge just had to listen to that laugh, so similar to Matt’s, and her heart had clenched in a painful understanding of the need for family out in space. It was only later that she realized they weren’t a replacement; they were just as real to him as the one he had been raised by.</p>
<p>Being “sensible” and “logical” didn’t stop the fear that bled into her heart and snaked up her throat, leaving her gasping for air as she curled over her computer in a pitch-black kitchen at 2 am on the morning of her 6 am space flight. Pidge <i>couldn’t stand</i> to lose anyone else, couldn’t handle coming down to hear that someone she loved—a precious member of her family—had been lost <i>again</i>. She had already said too many goodbyes, so many of which were nearly her last. She had watched almost everyone she loved nearly die, she had seen them walk out, and she had seen them fall to pieces.</p>
<p>Pidge would never forget screaming for Shiro, racing the others to his cockpit and finding nothing there, no trace that he had ever existed. No sign that he was even still alive. She could still see Allura’s head snapping against the headrest, quintessence raging around her as if ticks away from tearing her to shreds as agony consumed her sister’s face and the comms shorted out, leaving her helpless to support her friends as they risked everything to get back their family. She still remembered twisting, heart nearly exploding in her throat as Hunk shoved Shiro out of the way of that ion cannon, the former Black Paladin still not used to Blue, and the light blinding her to Keith and Lance’s last tick save. When she could see again, all she knew was that her best friend in the universe wasn’t there anymore. And, sometimes, she still tasted the smoke in the control room when she went running back to find Coran collapsed on the floor, half-coated in dust and pieces of shrapnel from the bomb. Pidge could never forget hearing Keith crash to the floor in the Black Lion’s cockpit, Haggar’s newest weapon starting to recharge, and Lance’s blinded screams hiding her own cries as one of her brothers nearly sacrificed his life again. And god, no matter how hard she tried, Pidge would never forget waiting for Keith and Lance to come back from the Kral Zera only to see the Black Lion carrying a half-destroyed, limp Red Lion in its jaws. She would never forget charging through the Black Lion, the crushing belief that she had lost another brother sending her careening into a wall, another loved one’s promise to come home lying broken in the war’s rampage, that she had lost him and it would be her fault for not coming along, for not protecting him, <i>for not being enough—</i></p>
<p>Her eyes blurred again, and Pidge was pretty sure it wasn’t from exhaustion this time. She dug her forehead into her computer, the screen nearly blinding her, and the faint click of the light switch drowned out by her thundering heartbeat. She <i>didn’t want to leave. </i>Sure, her family were all strong, skilled fighters who had handled some of the universe’s worst before, but most of them were also reckless, self-sacrificial, and even more stubborn on the battlefield than she was during a late-night coding expedition.</p>
<p>“Oh. Hey, Pidge. You should go to sleep.”</p>
<p>She didn’t want to come back to a missing pilot seat, to a tombstone, to tears, to another family member <i>gone.</i></p>
<p>“Seriously, you have a flight in the morning. Lance is going to throw you into bed if he wakes up.”</p>
<p>And this time, no matter where she went, she would never be able to save them.</p>
<p>“Pidge? Oh quiznak, are you okay?!”</p>
<p>Keith’s hand latched around her shoulder, and Pidge barely bit back a shriek as she jerked away. Her computer flew from her hands, clattering to the table as her shoulder jammed into the back of the chair, feet flying up and arms raised to block a blow. The chair lurched backwards, legs rising, and Keith’s breathing became fragmented as it tipped.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kuron smiled, swirling a cup of sparkling apple cider in his flesh hand as he took a seat a little ways away from the giant group dancing in the center of the room. Curtis had dragged him to one of the Garrison’s social events, and the taller man was somehow still smiling next to him. He nudged Kuron with his shoulder, jerking his head towards the group with a raised eyebrow. Kuron just shook his head; he didn’t know if Shiro or Adam had joined in tonight, celebrating their recent engagement.</p>
<p>“You sure?” Asked Curtis, tilting his head even though Kuron had already explained his qualms with interacting with the Voltron team. “You were up there with them in space, I’m pretty sure they’d like you to join them. I mean, Shiro kept talking about his space family and all that; you guys may as well be brothers.”</p>
<p>Kuron winced, downing half of the cup as the paladins’ smiles flashed before his eyes when they had been celebrating their victory on Earth. He couldn’t remember a single time that they had laughed like that when he was the Black Paladin, not a single group hug or bout of teasing as long as he was around. Lance had tried so hard to give them this, to give them what they all had now. He had suggested game nights after death-defying missions, had always thrown open his arms for hugs, he had joked and laughed like he was trying to fill something up. And Kuron had shot down those suggestions, had walked past those open arms a thousand times, had greeted those jokes and chuckles with stony glares. For all that it was partially Haggar’s control, it was also partially his own fault, and he needed to take responsibility for that.</p>
<p>Part of doing that was not taking any joy from them now.</p>
<p>“No, I’m a pretty new addition to the team, not really family,” replied Kuron, swallowing the last of his cider. “Plus, I’m…”</p>
<p>“A clone?” Asked Curtis, cocking his head and grinning as Kuron bit his lip harshly. “Yeah, so what? It’s your experiences that define you, not your DNA or some bio stuff like that.”</p>
<p>“That…that’s the problem,” said Kuron, running his thumb over his forefinger and tossing the empty cup into a garbage can. “Let’s just say their experiences with me haven’t exactly been sunshine and rainbows. But, that’s beside the point. This is a party. Let’s celebrate, at least for tonight, okay…uh, you said your name was Curtis? Tomorrow, I head back up into space, so let’s just take the night off.”</p>
<p>Curtis arched an eyebrow, shrugging and standing up to dust off his pants. Kuron flashed him a tight smile, slouching down again. He needed to run diagnostics for his flight with Lotor tomorrow so that the Emperor could land them near that base safely, and he needed to verify the fuel supply on the ship to account for any difficulties when tampering with the clones’ control chips and—</p>
<p>“Right, come on then,” interjected Curtis, wiggling the fingers of his extended hand. “It’s not a party if there’s no dancing, am I right?”</p>
<p>Kuron blinked up at him, eyes almost glazing over at the brilliant grin offered back at him. Since when had he been able to make people smile like that?</p>
<p>“Hurry,” teased Curtis. “Looks like Sam and Colleen are taking over the dance floor, and if we don’t move fast, they’ll be dancing on top of our shoes too! Seriously, I went to a ballroom class with them as a joke once, and I’m pretty sure they got the last laugh.”</p>
<p>Kuron chuckled, standing up and offering Curtis a hand with a blushing attempt at a smile.</p>
<p>“In that case,” he said softly. “Please join me before our shoes are brutally attacked.”</p>
<p>Curtis cackled at that, twirling Kuron as a matching grin spread across his lips, his hand tightening around Kuron’s waist.</p>
<p>“You sound like the emo baby,” he teased.</p>
<p>“…Keith?”</p>
<p>Curtis’ near-shrieking laughter drew a giggle from Kuron along with the image of their sword-swinging firebrain as a tiny baby with an overgrown mullet in little paladin armor. <i>And yet,</i> Kuron sighed to himself, <i>I still cannot imagine him in anything other than his paladin armor…as anything other than a warrior.</i></p>
<p>It was why Kuron couldn’t pretend to be surprised that Lance had eventually become the Black Paladin, the leader of the Voltron…family. When Kuron had been the leader, he had seen himself as everything that Lance was not. He was strict and harsh, forcing the team into order, trying to end the war as quickly as possible regardless of the consequences. And if the Paladins of Voltron bore the brunt of the damage, then that was fine; they were the Defenders of the Universe, after all. This was a war, and they were soldiers. They had a duty to walk through the flames.</p>
<p>But he had forgotten to take their hands as they all plunged in. Along the way, in that blazing heat, he had lost sight of them, had lost track of them. He couldn’t hear them anymore, couldn’t feel them, couldn’t do anything but charge forwards, striving harder against the heat until it became nothing more than a one-man race against death. And when a burst of cold hit his back, he rounded with rage, unable to see that Lance had brought a hose to the firestorm, had shielded Pidge and Hunk without any of them noticing, had been reaching out to Kuron the whole time <i>and he hadn’t noticed</i>. Kuron had fixed his eyes on their goal so completely that he had forgotten he wasn’t supposed to be a leader; he was supposed to be <i>their</i> leader.</p>
<p>Maybe Kuron was everything Lance was not. But Lance was also everything that Kuron was not.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Keith lunged forwards, curving his body around the chair and throwing his arms around Pidge. He yanked her back, pinning her to the back of the chair as she wriggled beneath him, and squeezed his eyes shut. He blew the breath slowly out of his body before the chair could steal it from him, draining the tension from each and every muscle, and tucked his chin in. He was used to being tackled, and not just by Nadia and Sylvio’s adoring hugs.</p>
<p>He wasn’t quite as used to welcoming it with open arms but, hey, a lot had changed over the past decaphoeb.</p>
<p>Keith smashed into the floor, the chair crushing down on top of him, and he dug his teeth into his lip to keep from snapping his head back at the pain. A concussion was high on his list of things to avoid right then. He held still, eyes flitting around the room in a frenzied storm, searching for any attackers or additional threats, and tightened his hold around Pidge.</p>
<p>Pidge snarled, blinking harshly to crush the flickering black dots from her eyes, and stared up at the McClain’s ceiling. Uhhhh, that was new.</p>
<p>“Hey, Pidge,” hissed Keith’s voice from beneath her, and Pidge’s eyes snapped down to see his arms locking her to the chair. “You mind?”</p>
<p>The decidedly tipped over chair. Oh. <i>Oh.</i></p>
<p>“Pidge, you’d better be awake,” grumbled Keith, unwinding his arms from her and steadying the chair on top of him.</p>
<p>Pidge wondered if he would shove her off if she pretended not to be. She also wondered how many knives he kept on him when he slept.</p>
<p>“Right! Sorry!” She cried quietly, twisting off the chair and rolling across the floor.</p>
<p>	On the battlefield, if Keith wanted to get something off of him, he usually ended up taking <i>a lot</i> of room. This would be no different.</p>
<p>	Keith huffed, shoving the chair off of him and tossing it to Pidge. She yelped, scrambling to her feet and snatching the chair out of the air while he pressed his palms flat to the ground beside his head. Keith snapped his legs in an arch, the action whipping through the rest of his body as he pushed off his hands, curving through the air. He landed on his feet in a low crouch, and Pidge grinned.</p>
<p>	“Taking lessons from Lance?” She teased, returning the chair to the table as her ears pricked up at a faint humming.</p>
<p>	“Are you kidding?” Huffed Keith, lips quirking as he stood, tousling her hair. “This is one of Shiro’s favorites. When you see him <i>constantly</i> do this whenever Adam walks into the room, you end up picking it up pretty quickly.”</p>
<p>	Pidge snorted, batting his hand away and returning to the table. Thank god, her computer looked like it was doing just fine. Geez, she needed to be more careful with it; next she would be throwing the poor thing across the room.</p>
<p>	“Sure, it’s totally not from all the times Lance showed it off in the Garrison whenever he knew you were looking,” she quipped, erasing the lines of code her fingers had mashed in their terror.</p>
<p>	“Shut up,” grumbled Keith with an affectionate shove on his way over to the microwave.</p>
<p>	Pidge blinked as he turned it off, the nearly-silent beep vibrating through the air, and Keith tugged two steaming cups of hot chocolate out. Her lips compressed harshly.</p>
<p>	“Is Lance up?” She asked, a faint growl lingering on her words.</p>
<p>	Lance kept sneaking out of the house and camping out on the roof to knock through additional diplomatic work. He would tiptoe through the kitchen, slide open the window that Pidge could have sworn only she would be able to climb through, and would hop up onto the roof with a bag of paperwork. Then he would clamber over the tiles, plop on top of the roof, and pull the pencil out from behind his ear to begin working.</p>
<p>	<i>“You come up here to rock out?” Joked Pidge, twisting like an owl to stare at Lance as he joined her.</i></p>
<p>
  <i>	Lance screeched, jerking backwards and nearly flailing off the small ledge. Pidge snickered, spinning around to grin at her brother as he clutched at his heart overdramatically.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Geez, Pidge! You trying to give me a heart attack and brain damage?” He complained, flopping forwards and unslinging the bulging bag from his shoulder. “What are you doing up?”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Same thing as you,” replied Pidge, gesturing to the papers spilling from his bag and the pencil still locked between his fingers. “Pulling a late night.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	Lance chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head and folding up his knees to create a tiny desk.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Yeah,” he admitted, pencil scratching out symbols and circling a few terms. “If I can get ahead on this stuff, then ‘Lura can leave for Oriande sooner, and we won’t have Haggar’s OP magic hanging over our heads anymore.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	Pidge snorted, leaning over and socking him in the arm. Lance yelped, rubbing his arm and sticking his tongue out at his sister. Pidge rolled her eyes.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Hypocrite,” she stated, turning back to her computer with a slight huff. “You’re always telling me not to deal with problems alone when you guys can make it easier. We’re a team; you’re stuck working with us now.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	Lance snickered, ruffling her hair and dodging her flurry of swipes with an additional giggle.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied with that elusive smile playing over his lips, his eyes open wide and yet closed.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	Pidge wished she could reach him when he was like that, but he always seemed so far away. He always seemed just outside of her grasp.</i>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re distracted~” Teased Curtis, spinning Kuron in a swift circle before pulling him in close again, smile still playing so sweetly across his lips that the clone was left feeling dizzy (perhaps it was just the twirling?) in the other man’s arms. “Come on, half of dancing is the conversation, and I don’t happen to know much about my dashing partner here. Anything spicy from your time in space to share?”</p>
<p>“Like what?”</p>
<p>“Uhhhhh, I don’t know. How about stars? Are the colors up there really as crazy as everyone says they are?”</p>
<p>Kuron chuckled, nights spent with the soft coos of the team back in the beginning rising up to his mind. He tugged Curtis just a little away from where Seok was dancing, swinging his partner a little wide and flashing him an almost wistful smile.</p>
<p>“Yes. They’re glorious. I think my favorite was this pale purple mist over a peach nebula. Everything was so dark around them, and stars were glittering at all corners like millions of lights just watching over you,” admitted Kuron, gliding across the floor and sweeping a beaming Curtis with him. “It felt like they were all saying <i>everything’s going to be okay, so just keep going. It’s going to be alright. </i>And when the big blue streak at the center of it came into view, I felt almost like I was back on Earth for a moment. Like I had come home.”</p>
<p>Kuron gazed up at the ceiling as if he could see that same sky in the black tiles if he gazed long enough. “But, then again, I’d never actually seen Earth’s sky. It was all an illusion in the end.”</p>
<p>
  <i>Just like me.</i>
</p>
<p>The silent message rang clear despite the deafening music, the frenzied dancing of the Garrison staff, the faintly salty scents of snacks overtaking the air. The lights were flashing across the dance room, practically creating supernovas with each explosion, and some students had formed a giant circle to contain all of their different dancing styles. Kuron could almost see the paladins joining in and casually conquering the circle from the few moves he had seen them dance before. Keith would show off some fighting tricks that could pass for dancing if one squinted hard enough, Pidge would bounce all over the place and pump her arms freely, and Shiro would be doing the macarena with Adam and +3 dorkiness. Allura and Lance would probably show off a myriad of fancy alien dance moves, Matt would throw in a frenzy of gymnastics moves and, if Kuron knew anything about the Voltron family, Coran would be doing things that made no anatomical sense but looked cool? Krolia would probably just stand by and chuckle, clapping along with a smile that shone like fireworks in her eyes.</p>
<p>The same look Kuron should have given Lance all those phoebs ago.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What? No, of course he’s not,” replied Keith, eyes rolling as he hopped onto the table and took a sip of his hot chocolate, the other cup abandoned in front of her. “I’m not that bad at sneaking out.”</p>
<p>Pidge poked the cup in front of her, arching an eyebrow at him silently. It was funny, really. For all that Lance and Matt were scarily similar, especially with their ~drama~ and flirting, the way she worked with Keith was closer to how she communicated with her brother. The two didn’t talk much, capitalizing on gestures and an intuitive understanding of where the other one stood. It was what made them such an effective duo on the battlefield; they would both charge in without any sort of thorough plan or expectations, without anything going for them but the wavelength they seemed to dance together on throughout the battle. It wasn’t that they watched each other’s back, it wasn’t that they knew each other well enough to guess where they would be at any given moment, it was just two matching sets of instincts. They were a brother and a sister who knew what needed to be done and how to make it easiest for them to pull that off. They thought the same way.</p>
<p>Keith shrugged as she prodded the cup a little more insistently.</p>
<p>“I couldn’t find any marshmallows,” he replied, sipping from his cup and deliberately not looking at her. “Didn’t think you’d want any.”</p>
<p>Pidge snorted out a laugh, the giggles shooting from her nose and drawing a smile from Keith. Pidge swore she saw him blink a few shadows out of his eyes.</p>
<p>“Nah, no marshmallows are perfect. Thanks.”</p>
<p>They both knew she wasn’t just thanking him for the hot chocolate.</p>
<p>“No problem.”</p>
<p>The two sat in an easy silence, each sipping their steaming drink as the stars glistened out the window and Pidge typed softly. The faint snores from the living room (Pidge swore they were coming from Adam) were comforting, almost like waking up in the middle of their team sleepovers to Hunk’s drooling and the promise of several more vargas of sleep. Pidge slurped at her hot chocolate, eyes flicking over to Keith’s profile and cataloguing all the little details. The faint bags dragging his eyes down, the hunch in his shoulders he always got when he was losing a video game a little too badly, and the way his eyebrows twitched occasionally, as if trying to hold back a thunderstorm.</p>
<p>His searing indigo eyes snapped to meet her amber gaze. The two stared at one another, Keith’s eyes narrow as a laser, and Pidge’s wide as the barrel of an ion cannon. They had faced down the worst the universe could throw at them together. They had squabbled, ran, searched, destroyed anything that was in their path, saved anyone who needed their hand, and smiled at the end of the day, together <i>no matter what</i>. And, as those familiar smiles curved into their burning irises, Pidge felt something inside her click back into place.</p>
<p>“Keith?”</p>
<p>“Mm?”</p>
<p>Pidge’s fingers slid to a stop on her keyboard, and Keith set down his drink with a soft <i>clink</i>. They never broke their gaze, and Pidge reached out slowly to let her fingers curl around his sleeve.</p>
<p>“Will you guys be here when I come back?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kuron stared off across the room, visions dancing in his eyes that weren’t there. But Curtis kept his eyes locked on Kuron’s.</p>
<p>“I think it’s a little too loud in here to be an illusion,” he replied, grinning maniacally and throwing Kuron into a dip with an exaggeratedly roguish wink. “Plus, if this were my illusion, it’d just be you and me, and I’d have the whole world melt away right now for dramatic effect.”</p>
<p>Kuron blinked up at the smirking man. A tick passed, and Curtis could practically see the gears turning in his brain. Then he giggled. Curtis chuckled, partially just at the cute pink spreading over Kuron’s cheeks, and partially because the giggles increased, growing louder and louder with every passing second. They built up on one another, growing into snickers, into chortles and, finally, blossoming into full laughter. Kuron’s head was thrown back, his shoulders shaking at the force of his laughs, and Curtis doubted there was any sight more beautiful in the world than when Kuron turned those glowing grey eyes on him with a look of adoration.</p>
<p>Curtis melted.</p>
<p>“I would hardly protest that illusion,” teased Kuron, snickering as Curtis nearly dropped him in a squawking attempt to pull the clone back to his feet. “So, how about a rain check on it until I get back?”</p>
<p>Curtis blushed, rubbing the back of his neck and unable to keep his lips from curving upwards at just the image of it.</p>
<p>“That! That would be! Um! I would like that! Very much!” He decided, trying to pretend that steam wasn’t curling out of his ears and Adam would probably be snickering across the dance floor over his friend’s flustered state if he was here.</p>
<p>“In that case, I’ll see you then,” said Kuron, bowing. “I have to go prepare for my flight tomorrow. Uh, Curtis, will you please tell the others I said goodbye?”</p>
<p>Curtis smiled, returning the bow and raising his head to seize a final look at the man with eyes softer than any heart Curtis had seen before.</p>
<p>“It would be my pleasure.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Keith’s breath was sharp, splitting the kitchen in half, and Pidge tightened her grip on his sleeve as if to keep him from running away. As if to keep him safe by her side.</p>
<p>Keith recognized that instinct. He knew what it meant to watch someone leave and only realize later that it had been your last goodbye. And he knew Pidge did too; the same agony he had felt for Shiro, she had felt twice over for her father and brother. She had given up everything to find them, and now to step back and trust others to protect her family—including the ones she had met in space—was harder than summoning a superpowered shield in the middle of combat. Stepping back and trusting in the universe when it had failed you before was the hardest thing to do.</p>
<p>Keith slid his sleeve free of Pidge’s hand, her stuttered breath cracking his heart, and wrapped his fingers softly, but firmly, around her wrist. He held it steadily, staring into her amber eyes, shining as if holding back a tidal wave, until her fingers tentatively encircled his wrist. Keith squeezed softly.</p>
<p>“Will you come back to us?” He asked.</p>
<p>Pidge’s eyes blew wide, and her grip tightened around his wrist as her irises turned into razors and her mouth set into the streak of a comet.</p>
<p>“How could you even ask that?” She snapped. “Of course I’ll come back to you guys!”</p>
<p>Keith fought back the echo of the door closing on his father for the last time, and forced himself to keep eye contact with Pidge. He raised his chin, a faint tremble passing through his fingers, and swallowed the fear threatening to choke him. Sure, he wasn’t Lance, he wasn’t an expert on emotions or helping people or handling fear. But he knew better than almost anyone what it meant to be <i>scared</i> like Pidge was now, scared of losing everything you had ever loved and built for yourself.</p>
<p>	He knew what it meant to be scared of losing your entire world.</p>
<p>“I know,” he replied. “We know you’ll come back to us. So know that we’ll be here when you come back. We’re a family; believe in us like we believe in you. And when you come back, will you…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kuron turned, his eyes trained on Curtis as the man turned away, cheeks bright pink and a smile blooming across his face. Huh. Kuron’s lips tilted up.</p>
<p>Maybe…maybe he really could make people laugh like he wanted to. Maybe, this time, he could let those goofy smiles show.</p>
<p>Maybe he still had time to get this right.</p>
<p>Well, maybe he would have, if he had decided to stay. But there was a clone base to pacify, a final battle rapidly approaching, and a new comet-powered weapon in development. They all had their part to play, and Kuron’s was not here. It wasn’t with these people he wished to call his own. And, as he slipped out of the room, he felt his last shot at having friends finally slip through his fingers with every step that took him further from them. </p>
<p>It was time to let go. Time to move on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pidge stared at Keith, her eyes swelling with tears at the question hanging in the air, her brother’s lips pursed and the faint remnants of a tremor still in his fingertips. Like that was even a question.</p>
<p>“Obviously!” Scoffed Pidge, holding tight to him and swallowing a sniffle. “I’ll bring along one of my flower robots!”</p>
<p>“Why do you have a—you know what, I don’t want to know, do I?”</p>
<p>“Nah,” she replied, smirking. “Probably not!”</p>
<p><i>We believe in you.</i> God, had she forgotten that. She had been so trapped in the ‘perfect younger sister mold’ every time she was with her family, forced to sit still and listen when she wanted to run and chatter, to talk about or work on her latest projects, to plot pranks and make stupid jokes that broke scientific rules for humor’s sake, to be <i>Pidge</i>, that she forgot how she had become Pidge. And now she was trapped as Katie, chained back by her own fear. She didn’t want to upset her parents; she had worked so hard to find them, she didn’t want to lose them or disappoint them <i>but she didn’t want to lose herself</i>. She didn’t want to sacrifice everything she had made herself into. She didn’t want to be told she talked too much, too loudly, too quickly. She didn’t want to be <i>too much</i> because she knew she was always <i>more than enough</i> with her space family. She didn’t want to stay trapped as Katie.</p>
<p>So, she clenched Keith’s wrist, smiled back her tears, and raised shining irises to meld with his.</p>
<p>“I’ve always believed in you guys,” she stated. “And I always will. You’ve earned it.”</p>
<p>Even if he’d always had it since she first met him.</p>
<p>Keith laughed, breaking his wrist free of her grip and clasping her palm instead, a grin overtaking his face.</p>
<p>“You’ve earned it too, Pidge.”</p>
<p>And she’d always had it anyways.</p>
<p>
  <i>Just <b>believe</b> me.</i>
</p>
<p>Pidge’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head, and Keith stifled a shriek as his sister’s voice joined his own in his head. Then a grin engulfed her face, and Keith groaned, hiding his face in his hands as Pidge whooped quietly, pumping her fists in the air and rattling off theories at light speed in their shared minds.</p>
<p>After all, she knew Keith would keep up with her.</p>
<p>Keith chuckled, leaning against the counter and swallowing half of his remaining hot chocolate in one go while admiring the way that Pidge looked with one amber eye and one indigo one. Pidge punched his arm lightly as the thought crossed over to her brain, and she grinned at him.</p>
<p>“You don’t look too bad yourself, haystack hair.”</p>
<p>“EXCUSE ME?!” Whisper-shrieked Keith, and Pidge cackled as she flooded their brain with theories on ‘pair melding’ as she had decided to call it.</p>
<p>Keith laughed, flopping across the table and raising his mug towards Pidge. It may be a long night, but it would be worth it to get to spend some time with his space sister.</p>
<p>“Cheers, sis.”</p>
<p>Pidge grinned like a sunflower, picking up her own cup as the knots melted out of her muscles. She couldn’t imagine a better last night on Earth than with her space brother.</p>
<p>“Cheers, bro.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Your Name</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kuron knew that, theoretically at least. If anyone could pull them through a comet-powered Haggar weapon, it was those two. He squared his shoulders, ears pricking up as he heard faint thuds coming from the training room. His feet guided him towards the sounds automatically, his eyes still glazed over with thoughts.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kuron adjusted the Galran General armor as he stepped into the Castle of Lions, reveling in the increased pressure against his shoulders. It was heavier, hanging with the promise of protection that he had never truly felt in the Paladin armor. Lotor had customized it to account for his height and build, and he made a point of engineering a protective device that could shield him from Haggar’s influence into his helmet. Although they had already removed the chip that gave Haggar control over him, Kuron couldn’t help but ask himself whenever he was in a meeting room, listening to new weapons schematics, or sitting with Lotor on his late-night <i>Pretty-Allura</i> rants that Haggar could somehow still infiltrate him. To accidentally sabotage the team again, this time potentially fatally, that would be something Kuron couldn’t endure, especially since Zarkon had recently drained all the quintessence out of a planet (mercifully, it had been uninhabited, according to Krolia) and used it do destroy a supply convoy. Kuron couldn’t bear to do anything else that would help that tyrant.</p>
<p>But Lotor had simply smiled, patting his shoulder as he surveyed Kuron earlier that morning for their coming departure.</p>
<p>
  <i>“You look good,” he said warmth reflecting in those usually sharp blue eyes. “Purple suits you. As a protector of the Emperor of the Galran Empire, it is only fitting that you should share the purple robe with us.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“It would be my honor, Emperor Lotor,” replied Kuron with a low bow. “I only hope to live up to your expectations.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Lotor chuckled, turning on his heel to go inspect his ship.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“You already have.”</i>
</p>
<p>Kuron wasn’t sure how that one was possible; Lotor had only officially offered him a place as a General after they had touched down on Earth. There had been no battles since then, only scouting patrols and Blade teams dipping in to update them all on the situation. Zarkon and Haggar had recently seemed to have lost some ships due to a mechanical error, according to a few captains, and Kolivan had personally scanned the fleet to make sure that those ships were actually missing. As soon as he confirmed it, Allura and Lotor agreed that it was time to begin their expeditions to gather allies and sabotage bases. Kuron’s lips quirked as he reflected on the quick planning of his old team. Lotor and Kuron would hit the clone base first, remove the chips, and relocate those who didn’t want to join in the fighting. Any who wanted to would come with Kuron and Lotor back to the Galran Empire so they could rally and launch a surprise attack on Zarkon’s rearguard while Voltron crushed them from the front.</p>
<p>It was a good plan in theory. Still, there was a reason Lance had laughed when Kuron asked how it would hold up in battle.</p>
<p>
  <i>“Dude, this is Haggar,” replied Lance with a snorting laugh. “Not a chance. It’s just enough to keep everything in line so that we can react correctly during the battle. As Moltke says, ‘no plan survives first death with the enemy,’”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“First contact!” Cut in Keith, punching Lance in the arm as everyone else filed out of the room. “Death is besides the point, goofball! Now come on, let’s take Nadia and Sylvio out for ice cream. Sylvio fell asleep when I was reading to him last time, and Nadia ended up on top of my head somehow.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Eating ice cream’s not going to stop that last part,” Lance said with a sparkling laugh, patting Kuron on the shoulder and shooting a grin at him. “No worries, man. We’ve always managed this before, we can do it again.”</i>
</p>
<p>Kuron knew that, theoretically at least. If anyone could pull them through a comet-powered Haggar weapon, it was those two. He squared his shoulders, ears pricking up as he heard faint thuds coming from the training room. His feet guided him towards the sounds automatically, his eyes still glazed over with thoughts. Keith and Lance had figured out how to co-pilot the Black Lion of Voltron, had made impossible allies, won against odds that would make anyone else turn and run, and faced down Haggar’s latest weapons at every turn. Not to mention, Lance and Pidge had apparently managed to mind meld during a battle and unlock some sort of new form for both of their bayards? Honestly, Kuron could only make sense of so much of their late-night shrieking.</p>
<p>“Oh, hey! Didn’t expect to see you here, Kuron,” greeted Lance, spinning under a kick from the training gladiator and body-slamming it out of the arena; Kuron nearly tripped over his own feet at the sudden voice. “Lotor’s verifying coordinates with Pidge right now in her tech fortress, so I wouldn’t bother trying to find them.”</p>
<p>Kuron chuckled as the gladiator sank through the floor and Lance took a gulp from his water bottle; everyone knew not to disturb Pidge once she had assumed queenship of her tech fortress.</p>
<p>“Late night for her again?” He asked, strolling into the training room to lean against a nearby shooting post.</p>
<p>“Yep!” Replied Lance with a snort. “I found her passed out at the kitchen table in the morning with Keith. She’s been especially workaholicky lately,” he added, lips pursing. “I could probably count how much sleep she’s had all week on one hand. Well, I’m planning on trapping her in her room and then flopping on her stomach until she sleeps when she comes back from her trip, so if you return to my beheaded corpse, cast first suspicion on Pidge!”</p>
<p>Kuron let out a bark of laughter, adjusting against the post. Why did it feel like there were so many stab holes in addition to Lance’s usual blaster fire?</p>
<p>“Sure Lance, I’ll investigate one of the galaxy’s top hackers who will have managed to kill one of the universe’s best fighters, I’m sure nothing can go wrong with that.”</p>
<p>Lance spluttered, and Kuron let one of his grins leak out. Be more honest. Meet Lance where he was. Just <i>try</i>.</p>
<p>“Totally,” teased Lance, swinging his bayard into his hand and extending it into a sword. “Hey, you want to hop into the arena with me one more time? For old times sake?”</p>
<p>Kuron winced and Lance cringed the tick the words left his mouth. There was nothing about their old times Kuron wanted to honor like that. He shifted, eyes darting to the exit, and an excuse on the tip of his tongue when Lance’s eyes flashed like lightning strikes, and his Altean marks lit up a sharp blue. Lance flipped into his corner of the arena, glancing back at Kuron and nodding his head towards the opponent’s square with a grin.</p>
<p>“Come on,” he pleaded, giving Kuron that signature puppy dog pout that always left Hunk groaning and Lance with an extra cookie on his plate. “One last bout!”</p>
<p>Kuron could feel his prosthetic acutely below the armor, a faint ache pulsing through the metal in time with the image flitting before his eyes. He didn’t ever want Lance to look at him like that again, like he was ticks away from being choked on the ground, like he was fighting for his life, like Kuron could…as if he would ever…</p>
<p>“Pleaseeeeee,” whined Lance, slinging his helmet on. “It’ll be good training! Plus, it’s our last chance!”</p>
<p>But Kuron didn’t want Lance’s last memory of him to be as an opponent, even in an arena. He didn’t want to be someone Lance was afraid of anymore. He wanted those days to be over. <i>Over</i>. Over over over <i>over, please let this be over—</i></p>
<p>“Kuron?” Asked Lance, cocking his head as his smile turned brittle as ice during the spring. “You up for it?”</p>
<p>“Bring it.”</p>
<p>The words sped from Kuron’s mouth as he stepped forwards instinctively, as if he could somehow bring sunshine in with him and melt away the shards of hesitation frozen in Lance’s eyes. As if he had ever been anything but ice to Lance.</p>
<p>“Awesome!” Cheered Lance, whooping as Kuron’s feet thudded across from him. “Don’t blame me when I wipe the floor with you, Mr. Big Man!”</p>
<p>Kuron gritted his teeth, fingers clenching into his palm hard enough to leave crescents stamped into his skin. He knew those words. And Lance did too.</p>
<p>He stepped back, heel hissing against the ground as his fists rose, a faint growl on his lips. Lance smirked, chin tipped up as he tossed his bayard to the side and slid into a boxing stance, his movements fluid and sharp. He didn’t bounce on his heels the way he used to either, but his eyes still flashed with that hint of gold that always made Kuron feel like Lance had the power to see right through him.</p>
<p>Maybe that was why Lance had always been the one he was most afraid of. With those lightning-blue eyes, that knowing lilt to his lips, that perpetually understanding hand that would rest on his shoulder right when he most needed and least wanted to be seen, to be known like tha—</p>
<p>Lance materialized barely an inch from Kuron’s face, and every thought burned up in the clone’s mind except for one: <i>fight</i>.</p>
<p>Kuron dove to the side, spinning in a crouch to block Lance’s shin from slamming into his nose. The impact forced a grunt from his lungs, but his lips curved into a smile; Lance’s strikes had never been this powerful before. Kuron lashed a sweeping kick at Lance’s ankle, block shifting to allow his fingers to clamp down on Lance’s calf as the Black Paladin’s eyes traced his movements. And, in that split tick, Kuron felt all the air leave his lungs because Lance was……he was <i>grinning</i>? His shoulders were bunched, his weight was shifting, the clone’s foot was inches from his own, and he met Kuron’s gaze with an unflinchingly brilliant light radiating from his Altean markings, from his eyes, his curved lips, his <i>everything</i>. Yes, this was exactly why Kuron feared Lance. Lance popped his foot off the ground at the last tick, slapping his palm down to anchor him barely an inch behind Kuron’s sweep. He hung there for a split second, elbow bending to redirect weight from his wrist, teeth gritted in a grin and cerulean eyes flashing like a tiger’s. Then he tucked his knee in and launched his free heel at the side of Kuron’s head.</p>
<p>Even when he seemed to be losing, Lance never stopped smiling.</p>
<p>Kuron thanked every deity he knew of right then for Lotor’s decision to give him a helmet as he was knocked off his feet by Lance’s stomping kick. He rolled backwards, digging his feet into the ground and throwing himself far enough away to regain his footing with a faint hiss. Lance circled near the edge of the arena, his feet dancing along the lines, his back flattened as if up against a wall and his fists keeping close to his nose. Armored fights were always a little more physical; they could take more chances and pull less punches with a cushion between the floor and their heads.</p>
<p>“Awww, come on,” goaded Lance, raising his chin as his words hid the faint hiss of the door opening. “I won’t sweep you too hard.”</p>
<p>Kuron snorted, the phantom tap of Lance’s ankle against his forcing a lump into his throat. How had he failed Lance in so many ways? He sucked in a breath sharp enough to cut glass and braced his feet as Lance crept closer, slowly shrinking the circle he rotated around Kuron. A vicious warmth flared down Kuron’s metallic arm, and his stomach dropped like a chunk of Balmeran crystal had gotten lodged in it. Or maybe that was just the weight of a future he had so badly hurt.</p>
<p>Kuron didn’t even want to look at the hissing purple that was curling off his arm, the searing heat, the lines of black that could burn through everything and everyone he had ever loved. He didn’t want to be like this, he was supposed to be getting better, he didn’t know how Lance could stand to keep coming clo—</p>
<p>“Pooooooooooooooooooooooow!” Teased Lance, lightly shoving Kuron back a few steps until his feet tripped outside the arena line.</p>
<p>Lance laughed, punching Kuron’s arm and cocking an eyebrow with that irresistible grin blooming all the way up to his eyes. Kuron blinked.</p>
<p>“See?” Said Lance, snagging Kuron’s burning hand and holding it up to the white light that always glinted so harshly off the Galran metal. “No threat.”</p>
<p>Kuron didn’t dare breathe as he stared at the cruel metal.</p>
<p>How was there no purple glow? No crisp burning sensation he had become so used to, that could sear through enemies and allies alike, the one he had once turned on Lance during their sparring? The one that had turned his friend’s eyes bright with fear? That proved, no matter how many times he had considered it, that he was too much a threat for these kids to be around? Where had it gone?</p>
<p>“Kuron,” called Lance, enunciating clearly as his diplomat’s <i>do-what-I-say-or-god-help-me-I-will-cover-your-room-in-glitter-for-the-next-week</i> tone sprinkled over his words. “Look, I know it sucks that you don’t know how much of your actions were Haggar’s will or your own, but you’ve proven one thing to us time and time again.”</p>
<p>Lance uncurled Kuron’s hand, his fingers splayed over the clone’s as he slid something cold inside. He wrapped Kuron’s cool, metallic fingers over the glasses Pidge had sneakily reported their friend needing, and flashed him that soft, honest grin that Kuron had never believed he deserved. “The desire to hurt us? That was never yours,” promised Lance, smirking as he jerked his head towards the arena as if to deflect from the tension unwinding from his shoulders, “because, if it was, you’d have gone <i>glowy-murder-death-arm</i> on me, and I’d be missing a few inches of flawless skin right around now.”</p>
<p>Lance notched a finger gun below his chin, sparkles flooding the air around him and his grin taking on that cocky charm that had once resulted in a chorus of groans from the team. Now, though, Kuron couldn’t do anything but stare at the Black Paladin with eyes blown wider than Kerberos. How could Lance even try to make him feel better when all that Kuron had done was hurt him? And how could he always be <i>so right about this quiznakery when Kuron hadn’t even told him?</i></p>
<p>Lance snickered, patting Kuron’s back and sneaking his other hand behind Kuron’s head.</p>
<p>“Ruffle attack!” Screeched Lance gleefully, totalling Kuron’s hair in under a minute while he let out a shriek that Lance returned with a glimmering peal of laughter. “Anyway, you’re always welcome back here. And if you ever need a meal, my mom has a banquet menu already prepared for whenever I bring friends over, soooooooooooo…”</p>
<p>Kuron gulped, peeking out from underneath his destroyed fringe as Lance gave him that sunshine grin he couldn’t help but treasure. <i>Friends.</i></p>
<p>“Yeah. Um, in that case, next time, I’ll stop by. I have to pay my respects to your mother, after all.”</p>
<p>Lance cheered, arms pumping up in the air and nearly lifting him off his feet, and Kuron didn’t try to restrain the smile engulfing his face. Maybe he hadn’t actually blown this as badly as he thought.</p>
<p>“Am I interrupting something?”</p>
<p>Lance spun, nearly twirling off his face before his Altean marks lit up like fireworks and he leapt off the arena into his boyfriend’s open arms.</p>
<p>“Keith!” Lance shrieked in lieu of a greeting, peppering kisses on his boyfriend’s cheeks.</p>
<p>Keith squirmed, his ears lighting up a ruby red that would have put his old jacket to shame, and Lance cooed before booping his nose.</p>
<p>“Laaaaance,” whined Keith, lowering his boyfriend to the ground before pressing a soft kiss to Lance’s cheek. “It’s five in the morning!”</p>
<p>“It’s always affection time!” Replied Lance, giggling as Keith buried his face in his boyfriend’s neck and mrmphed out a reply. “How long have you been standing here, Samurai?”</p>
<p>“Too long,” grumbled Keith, nuzzling further in to hide his yawn. “Pidge brought me along when she decided to go over coordinates with Prince Legolas again, so I thought I’d train for a bit. Now I just want sleep.”</p>
<p>Lance let out a quiet, lulling laugh, scooping Keith up in his arms and pressing his lips to Keith’s forehead with a tenderness that made Kuron’s heart ache. He flexed his fingers, biting his lip. He felt he could almost feel Curtis’ hand sliding into his again.</p>
<p>“Hey, Kuron,” called Lance softly, his fingers carding through Keith’s hair with a slow rhythm and his eyes rising to meet Kuron’s. “You should probably get ready to head off. Everyone’s waiting.”</p>
<p>Kuron blinked, and Lance’s lips gave a wavering quirk. “Yeah, that’s right. We all wanted to say goodbye, buddy. We’re going to miss you.”</p>
<p>Kuron gulped, the lump in his throat nearly strangling him, as if a missing piece of his heart had finally come home and was just waiting for him to fully accept it. As if he just had to give himself permission to be happy again.</p>
<p>“Well then,” whispered Kuron, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes as his grin outshone the sunrise just beyond the windows of his last day on Earth. “I can’t keep my friends waiting, now can I?”</p>
<p>Lance grinned, nudging him with his shoulder and raising his chin high.</p>
<p>“Nope!” He chirped.</p>
<p>Kuron didn’t want to say goodbye to them just yet, but……</p>
<p>“Hey, Lance?”</p>
<p>Lance’s gaze flitted over, an eyebrow arching, and Kuron’s teeth dug into his lip. “Please tell Keith that…that I said he should be more honest when he needs something.”</p>
<p>Lance’s eyebrow drew itself impossibly higher, but Kuron just shook his head. “Tell him that for me.”</p>
<p>Maybe, just maybe, he was ready to say <i>see you soon</i> to the ones he loved and who had given him a second chance, a chance to finally be himself, to decide who he wanted to be.</p>
<p>So, turning to Lance, to the one who had forgiven him for the most, the one who had stood by him the longest, the one he enveloped in a hug and pressed his forehead against, he finally let himself breathe.</p>
<p>“I’ll see you soon, Lance?”</p>
<p>Because he wasn’t just Shiro’s clone anymore. He was Kuron. And, paladin or not, he was a proud member of Voltron. Lance tapped his forehead to Kuron’s, blue eyes shining warmly and, for the first time since Kuron had stepped aboard the Castle of Lions, the smile they shared was light, free, and truly <i>happy</i>.</p>
<p>“See you soon, Kuron.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pidge jumped into Keith’s arms the tick she was in the hangar, the two squeezing each other tightly and Pidge’s legs locking around Keith’s stomach. She buried her face into his shoulder, his mullet tickling her nose, and grinned. Lance was spinning Matt around while Allura cackled and Shiro screeched at his best friend’s liftoff. But Matt’s smile, so elusive and teasing, told Pidge all she had to know about Lance’s hidden words within the tornado of her older brothers. Although, it might also just be because Adam was sneaking up behind Lance and preparing to lift the paladin off the ground as well. Hunk was sprinting towards Pidge and Keith, whooping at the chance for a group hug, and Coran was barely a few steps behind him. Pidge giggled, pressing her face impossibly further into Keith’s crinkly and warm Garrison uniform.</p>
<p>“Kick butt down here on Earth,” she whispered. “I promise I’ll come back in time to go with you. So you’d better be here when I come back, preferably with that mess tied back in a ponytail!”</p>
<p>“<i>Why are you all so obsessed with my hair?!</i>”</p>
<p>Pidge cackled, and Hunk plowed into the two of them. He wrapped them tightly in his arms, tugging them off the ground and twirling them around.</p>
<p>“I love you guys!” He squealed, tears already bursting at the corners of his eyes. “Pidge, you’d better come back soon! Who else will I talk tech with?!”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I need my ally in pillow wars against Lance,” teased Keith, ruffling her hair.</p>
<p>“Indeed, you shall be greatly missed, Number Five!” Cried Coran, leaping onto the hug twister and joining in, one hand cradling the back of her head gently. “Do come home quickly!”</p>
<p>“Oof! I intend on it, I intend on it!” Squawked Pidge as Hunk’s spinning began to wobble precariously. “I swear, if you guys drop me—!”</p>
<p>“I gotcha, sis!” Crowed Matt, launching himself onto the spinning death pile with a smirk.</p>
<p>Pidge shrieked, and Allura snickered as she caught Hunk effortlessly, gathering them all in her arms like they were the most precious things in the universe to her. <i>And</i>, Pidge couldn’t help but reflect as she remembered the fierce glare at those closed hangar doors so many phoebs ago, <i>maybe there was a reason for that</i>.</p>
<p>She found Allura’s hand and squeezed it tightly.</p>
<p>Shiro surrounded them with a tight hug, Adam’s arms barely a tick later, and Lance catapulted on top of the group to capture Pidge and Keith in a tight hug, tears pricking the edges of his eyes.</p>
<p>“Come back with tons of stories, Pidgey!” He squealed, grinning and bopping her nose. “I can’t wait to swap adventures!”</p>
<p>Pidge laughed, full-on, and knocked her forehead gently against Lance’s while tightening her hold on her family. Soon, she would let them go. Not because she trusted the universe to take care of them while she was gone, but because she trusted her family to protect each other. She trusted them to be here when she came back.</p>
<p>But, just for that moment, she let herself drown in her family’s love, their warmth giving her air and their touches securing her to their shore. And, with a long breath and a single tear trailing down her cheek, she held on with all she had. She didn’t have to let go yet. Not just yet.</p>
<p>So she would hold her family close as long as she could, love them unconditionally no matter the distance, and come racing back to them. She would always come back to their arms.</p>
<p>Pidge blew out a long breath. And, yes, Katie wanted to stay here forever; she wanted to cling to them and beg them not to let her go, to stay beside her, to stay safe.</p>
<p>But Pidge, with the new outfit Lance had secretly made for her during the last movement draped over her shoulder and the gloves Keith had bought her to prevent fingerprints clenched in her hands?</p>
<p>Pidge was ready to go be great.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Roots</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Keith knew he should be listening, knew that he should be concentrating on what Lance and Allura were saying. He knew that it was important; he could see the crinkle across Allura’s forehead and the purse of Lance’s lips that were only there when the two were picking apart a big problem. He knew that he especially needed to be present right now when Shiro was visiting family with his mother, when Adam had run himself into the ground trying to set up a steady way to communicate with the Holt siblings (with no success), and Lance was still grimacing from another failed attempt to come out to his family that afternoon.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Keith knew he should be listening, knew that he should be concentrating on what Lance and Allura were saying. He knew that it was important; he could see the crinkle across Allura’s forehead and the purse of Lance’s lips that were only there when the two were picking apart a big problem. He knew that he especially needed to be present right now when Shiro was visiting family with his mother, when Adam had run himself into the ground trying to set up a steady way to communicate with the Holt siblings (with no success), and Lance was still grimacing from another failed attempt to come out to his family that afternoon. Not to mention, Zarkon had apparently gathered a few hidden rebels to his cause and nearly overthrew Olkari again, causing a staggering amount of damage, and Keith knew that their entire family was reeling from the temporary loss of Pidge and Matt. He knew all of this, and he knew the others were aware he wasn’t paying attention from the periodic soft squeezes of Lance’s hand in his, from Kuron’s cryptic message that had locked Lance’s eyes on him all day, and the way Allura’s pace had slowed after a brief glance at her brother that not even Keith could decipher. The two had been diplomatic partners for over a phoeb before Keith joined in; they had silent communication down pat.</p>
<p>	Right then, Keith wished he did too.</p>
<p>	“It’s going to be our first formal Public Relations event!” Said Lance, pushing two fingers against the side of his temple and tightening his jaw; he was trying to hide a wince. “I still think having a panel is the best idea. I know that having all of Voltron available isn’t going to happen again (and probably shouldn’t if Hunk’s stomach and Pidge’s rage about not being in her lab are anything to go by), but I know I would feel a lot better as a civilian if I could see the faces of everyone defending me.”</p>
<p>	“While that is true, the others are not prepared for something like this,” argued Allura. “If we want to maximize its effectiveness, it would be most prudent to present the Black Paladins, Shiro, and myself. You and I are trained in diplomacy, and the three of us will be the faces of this. Shiro has been missing for two decaphoebs and, from what I hear, has great standing on Earth, so his participation in an initial meeting seems like it would gain us credibility early on.”</p>
<p>	“So would Pidge and Hunk if they were able to speak!” Shot back Lance. “Listening to Pidge go on about her weaponry unit and defensive advancements? People immediately know that we have an expert with us. Plus, if we’ve got Hunk explaining Lion mechanics and going over our machinery, then they’ll see we know what we’re doing. We need to present strongly as a team of the best.”</p>
<p>	Allura’s lips tightened, and Lance’s fingers dug deeper into his temple.</p>
<p>	“And when Pidge inevitably begins discussing the experimental technology we are developing to stop the Galra? And when Hunk reveals the mechanics behind some Galra weaponry that could terrify Earth?” She replied, teeth digging into her lips as she propped her chin up with a fist. “We shall need to have some sort of briefing session with them.”</p>
<p>	“That’ll go out the window the tick they’re on stage,” grumbled Lance, rubbing at his eyes, and Keith’s heart seized in his chest; since when had his partner’s bags gotten so deep?</p>
<p>	“You and I have successfully been the representatives of Voltron many times even when we needed to impress committees of experts,” pointed out Allura. “We are a team. We cover each other’s weaknesses in addition to highlighting their strengths. Hunk and Pidge crumble under stage pressure, and Coran becomes a bit…excitable.”</p>
<p>	“Yeah,” replied Lance with a snort, a grin pulling up his lips and a silent wave of laughter rippling between him and his sister. “So I remember!”</p>
<p>	Allura’s smile brought out a shimmer to her cheeks, and Keith sighed. This was stupid. There were three people here,<i> three</i>, but only two of them were talking. And it wasn’t even Lance or Allura’s fault! The two of them had asked his opinion repeatedly, trying to draw him into the conversation, but he would always space out before they could even finish the topic at hand, much less the meeting itself. He couldn’t focus; his stomach was consumed by a grating fog, darkness swirling in his gut like poison and pulsing through his chest. His throat was tight, his hands limp, his mind in a thousand places, a million places, in all the places he knew. It was everywhere except at this table. So why was he even here?</p>
<p>	“But all the aliens we’ve dealt with had already heard about Voltron; they knew we were a team, so it didn’t matter if they saw everyone,” refuted Lance. “Earth doesn’t. We need a show of unity and one of expertise.”</p>
<p>	Allura let out a sigh that seemed to come from the bottom of her soul, and Lance’s eyes flitted to the table, their blue shine dulled by the night outside. “Maybe we should decide tomorrow.”</p>
<p>	“No,” interjected Keith, his voice snapping up both Lance and Allura’s heads, their eyes gleaming with a fresh shot of joy as they lighted on him, and some of the darkness loosened its grip on his stomach. “Whatever we decide, we need to figure it out now! We need time to prepare everyone if they’re going to be at the panel with us!”</p>
<p>	“What do you think, Keith?” Asked Allura, leaning forward so fast her curls swung forward and nearly hit her in the face. “Should we bring in Pidge and Hunk? Do you think it would help the meeting?”</p>
<p>	Lance’s grin split his face as Keith looked up, his fingers soft despite their fierce grip around his palm, and Keith felt the darkness seeping back in. <i>Not enough</i>, snarled that one part of his brain Keith preferred tearing apart gladiators to drown out, <i>you don’t deserve that face. You can’t live up to it. You could never live up to anything, you could never save anyone. If you could, you would be focusing right now instead of crying about where you’re going in a few weeks. And that’s your fault too. You’re a weak paladin. Soon, you won’t be a paladin at all.</i></p>
<p>	“I don’t know,” mumbled Keith, shrugging and fixing his gaze on the table so he wouldn’t see the disappointment in his teammates’ faces. “Up to you guys.”</p>
<p>	Lance and Allura glanced at one another, another silent exchange going rapid-fire across the table, and Keith sank back into his chair. He could <i>feel</i> the empty chairs dominating the room (<i>obviously</i>, the reasonable part of his brain hissed, <i>you guys are using a meeting room for a three-way conversation, there are empty chairs</i>), the harsh lighting beating atop his head, the tension building in the slope of Lance’s back, the fatigue wearing down Allura’s shoulders, the <i>overwhelming feeling that he was drowning in his own skin, in the grief floating through him as if searching for a home, in the endless cosmos of pain that had been his and only his for <b>nine years—</b></i></p>
<p>He couldn’t deal with this right now.</p>
<p>	“In that case, we shall have Pidge and Hunk on the final panel,” stated Allura, clapping her hands as if to indicate her decision, as if it wasn’t meant to draw Keith into the present. “That will be all for today. It is late, and I imagine we all have family wondering where we are.”</p>
<p>Keith blinked. He had…family? Wondering where he w—oh.</p>
<p>Shiro and Adam. Krolia too. They were probably waiting at Lance’s home with a tray of food out for him and their eyes pinned to the clock because they knew what was coming up and they were worried and Keith had probably worried them and Hunk, probably Allura and Lance too, and they didn’t even know and <i>why couldn’t he do anything right—</i></p>
<p>“Meeting adjourned. I have sent everyone a message indicating our decisions and the nature of our tardiness,” added Allura, shooting a quick smile to Keith. “Remember, we will all need to come in early tomorrow so Hunk can hand out the emergency communicators he made. Until then, as hard as I know this will be for the two of you, do not be attacked,” she teased, gathering her bag and handing Lance his own so he wouldn’t have to let go of Keith’s hand. “I believe I will try my hand at these <i>hoverbikes</i> you Earthlings so love. Lance, would you see Keith home like a gentleman, please?”</p>
<p>“Excuse you, I’m always a gentleman!” Squawked Lance as Allura strode from the room with a wave of her hand and a parting,</p>
<p>“See you tomorrow, Keith!”</p>
<p>“<i>Hey!</i>”</p>
<p>Keith wished he could find it in himself to chuckle at their antics or join in teasing Lance or cling to his boyfriend and join in his display of affront at Allura’s implications. But his stomach just twisted, his fingers twitching against Lance’s, because <i>god he had always wanted this and even now, after everything, how was his past still dragging him back—</i></p>
<p>“Come on!” Chirped Lance, tugging Keith forward as he glanced back, wide blue eyes catching the light of the room in a sparkle that kick-started Keith’s heart regardless of the fog dominating his chest. “I’ll drive us home in just a tick; there’s something I want to show you!”</p>
<p>Keith scrambled, nearly tripping over his own feet in the flurry that was Lance. His partner whipped out his phone, tapping a quick message with his thumb and grinning over his shoulder at Keith. “Adam and Shiro know! I don’t have Krolia’s number, so I’ll just count on them to make sure your alien spy assassin mother of death doesn’t track me down and knife me!”</p>
<p>	Keith smiled at that one. Things with Krolia had been…oddly better ever since their fight. To say the least. The tick she could, the taller woman had folded him into a tight hug, apologies tumbling from her lips and hands trembling slightly against his back. Then she pulled away and, eyes practically glowing in the light, scanned him for any injuries with the face of a warrior and the touch of a mother. And when she softly prodded at his neck, drawing an involuntary giggle, she had smirked and commented that she was ticklish there too, and Keith felt a pulse of golden joy sweep over him as he grinned in return.</p>
<p>He had spent nineteen decaphoebs without her, nineteen decaphoebs cursing her for abandoning him and his father out there, and that time weighed in everything they did together. It lined his words as he spoke to her, it slipped into his eyes when he glanced at her, it twitched in each touch they shared. The pain of all they couldn’t redo sizzled in the air between them. And the mind control had been the spark, their fight exploding into a firestorm Keith hadn’t known he needed.</p>
<p>Because, when it ended, it took all his rage with it and left behind only the piercing, throbbing desire he knew from his childhood: he wanted his mom. And she had been there, smiling at him as the quintessence glowed golden around them, her hand on his shoulder and praise on her lips. Keith wanted a future with her in it. He wanted her to be his mom again someday. He wanted them to get there together. And it wouldn’t be without more fights, more tears, and more pain, but this was the first time he felt like it could be worth it. Like, someday, he wanted to call Krolia his mom.</p>
<p>He told her as much, and she had hugged him until he definitely heard something in his back squeak out a protest. So Keith sighed, smiled, and hugged back with all his might just in case he could make her back creak too. He was still trying on that last one.</p>
<p>“Here!” Said Lance, grinning as he plunked a helmet down over Keith’s head and tightened it beneath his chin. “Be sure to hang on tight!”</p>
<p>Lance swung a leg over the hoverbike, revving the engine and smirking over his shoulder at Keith. “I’ve been told my driving is…creative.”</p>
<p>Keith arched an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Should I text Shiro my final words?”</p>
<p>“Eh, maybe?”</p>
<p>“Lance!”</p>
<p>Lance giggled, patting the seat behind him as his free hand messed around with the music.</p>
<p>“Come on, trust me!” He chirped, and Keith felt a pulse at how different this was from their first hoverbike adventure.</p>
<p>No rushed jumps onto the bike, no dragging Shiro up, no Garrison chasing them, no strangers, no wild looks, no screaming, no <i>shut up and trust me!</i> Just the soft smile of his boyfriend and the wiggling hand he offered.</p>
<p>Keith felt the gloom clench, fisting until his stomach muscles were pulled taut, and all his breath evaporated in his throat.</p>
<p>Then it went limp, and Keith folded his fingers over Lance’s, sliding onto the bike just as it began to hover. He wrapped his arms around Lance and leaned against his back, sighing and closing his eyes as Lance leaned forward as if to shield him from the world. As if to create a safe haven for Keith to experience his emotions, to look right at them and take care of them, to treat himself gently while he handled his problems. As if to tell Keith he wasn’t alone. Keith had Lance if he needed him.</p>
<p>“Lead the way, Sharpshooter,” breathed Keith, and Lance grinned as the power built in the hoverbike’s engines.</p>
<p>“Hold tight, Samurai!” He crowed, slamming the pedal and shooting away with a whoop as the wind whistled in their ears and drowned out the voices crowding Keith’s mind, leaving only the warmth of Lance’s back in his arms and the feeling of flying he had dreamed of since he was a kid.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lance cut the engines, the hum of the hoverbike ripped from beneath Keith’s hands, and flashed a grin over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Okay, all passengers aboard the LanceyLance Express may now disembark!” He said in a squeaky imitation of a train conductor’s voice. “Please watch your footing, as there is a slight step on the way down.”</p>
<p>	“Oh, shut up,” replied Keith with a snort, hopping off the hoverbike and sending up tiny puffs of dust as his boots clunked to the ground. “You coming or not, Sharpshooter?”</p>
<p>“No, I just brought my boyfriend here to then ride off cackling into the night and leave him without a ride home at a park, but I let him keep his phone so he could call our ultra-powered family and sic them on me,” deadpanned Lance, swinging one leg over the hoverbike and arching an eyebrow as he pulled his helmet off.</p>
<p>Keith tossed his own helmet to Lance, cackling as his boyfriend let out a squawk and tried to juggle the multicolored helmets. Lance gave him the stink-eye, though Keith caught the slight twitch of lips that tried to fight back his smile. His gloom softened.</p>
<p>“So, a park?” He asked, cocking his head as Lance slid the keys into his pocket and held out his free hand for Keith to take.</p>
<p>“Yep!” Replied Lance, popping the p and starting towards the park. “I used to take Nadia and Sylvio here a lot on the weekends, especially when we first moved to the U.S. We had a park that looked kinda like it back home, so I thought it might make them feel more comfortable! It sure did for me,” he added with a laugh.</p>
<p>Keith hummed, squeezing Lance’s hand as his eyes roved over the park surrounding them. It was mainly green slopes, an occasional tree rising to provide shade, and he could almost see Nadia and Sylvio climbing up one as Lance watched from below, arms braced to catch them if they fell even as he shouted encouragement. He could hear the vague traces of laughter as Lance ran along the hills, a kid dangling from each outstretched arm, twirling until they all fell on their backs in a particularly soft patch Lance had somehow spotted. He could practically taste the sandwiches Lance had specially made for a picnic celebrating the two’s performances in <i>Charlie and The Chocolate Factory</i> despite the fact that he had tests in a couple of movements. And he could feel Lance cradling his hand, just like when he used to lead his niece and nephew down the cobblestone path lined with purple flowers and lamps to a circular pavilion with a blooming tree in the center. He could feel the memories tingling just beneath Lance’s skin, the laughter already sparkling in his eyes, the love in the grin he threw Keith’s way.</p>
<p>Keith looked up at the tree, lanterns shining from its branches, and the fog settled from his chest down into his stomach. He breathed in deeply, a faint smile pricking at his lips as he saw Lance’s shoulders untense at the gesture. He squeezed his boyfriend’s hand.</p>
<p>“It’s beautiful, Lance,” he said softly. “Thanks for showing it to me.”</p>
<p>Lance chuckled, lacing his fingers with Keith’s and placing them on his side. Keith blinked, and Lance brought his hand up to Keith’s shoulder, his free palm sliding to clasp Keith’s.</p>
<p>“Awww, come on!” He replied to Keith’s blank expression, leaning forward to brush their noses together. “I <i>know</i> you know how to slow dance! I’ve seen you do it in a rainy astral plane, you can do it in a park!”</p>
<p>“Wha—whoa—Lance!”</p>
<p>Lance let out a ringing peal of laughter, spinning in a circle with his partner and sending lantern light rippling over his face like sunlight over a lake. Keith closed his eyes, leaned into his boyfriend’s touch, and let himself drown in the safety that was Lance. He would trust Lance with his life. Lance gave everything he had to those he loved. He gave his heart, his soul, his work, his life, all of him. Keith wanted to treasure that.</p>
<p>But he didn’t want to take advantage of it either.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” he muttered.</p>
<p>“Shhhhhh, you’ve got nothing to apologize for,” replied Lance, his eyes catching sparkles from the lights and exploding them into fireworks with his smile. “I’m here for you if you need anything. I mean, I’m not going to <i>make</i> you say anything, obviously. But,” Lance said softly, the words slow off his tongue even as a gentleness seeped into his smile that made Keith’s heart ache, “if you ever want a hug or cute pictures or an ear to listen or advice, I’m your guy. Well, actually I’m your boyfriend, but—uh—I mean—”</p>
<p>“Lance—”</p>
<p>“I mean, I’m your gay—quiznak, brain, not what I was going for!”</p>
<p>“Lance—!”</p>
<p>“I mean I’m happy to help!” Cried Lance, twirling Keith a bit more enthusiastically than he probably needed to. “No matter what! I don’t care about time of day or night, so, like, don’t hesitate! I love you, and I want to be here for you!”</p>
<p>Keith planted his feet on the ground, hands slipping free of Lance’s grip to cup his cheeks and press their foreheads together. He let out a long, slow breath.</p>
<p>“Lance,” he whispered, “you don’t have to.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to drop everything to be here for me, you know. Just because you’re my boyfriend doesn’t mean you have to—to care so much. You don’t have to take care of me. It’s okay, Lance.”</p>
<p>Lance’s eyes flashed electric blue, the Altean markings bobbing on his cheeks sending a searing light over his face and catching like lightning bolts in his irises. He brought both hands up as if to clap them against the side of his head, and squished Keith’s cheeks with a terrifying tenderness. “Lan—”</p>
<p>“I want to be here for you!” Snapped Lance. “So—just—shut up! And knock it off with the whole <i>I-can-handle-this-on-my-own-so-no-one-needs-to-see-my-suffering</i> and just rely on us! On all of us! We want to help you, we want to support you, but we can’t do <i>anything</i> unless you tell us <i>what you want!</i>”</p>
<p>Keith blinked. Lance squished his cheeks again, eyes glowing in the light off his Altean marks. “Please, Keith. I’d tear down the stars if it made you feel more safe, I’d sing until my voice gave out if it brought you even a shred of comfort, I’d fight until I couldn’t stand if it meant you laughed freely again. Please, let me protect the heart you’ve shared with me.”</p>
<p>Keith blinked again, but this time it was harsher, a slam of his lids as if he was trying to crush something out of his eyes, and Lance’s hands became impossible softer. “You don’t have to tell us what’s going on. Just, please, rely on us a little bit here? We’re a family, Keith. We’re going to support you, no matter what. We love you.”</p>
<p>“I know!” Cried Keith, palms covering Lance’s as he looked up, violet eyes catching the glow of his partner’s markings. “I know you guys do; I really do. I just…I’m trying to do this right. I—look, this is a lot for me. Knowing you guys care about me is one thing, but……asking you to care about <i>my life</i> is another.”</p>
<p>Lance squished his cheeks in response.</p>
<p>“But we already care, Keith,” he breathed. “About you. About your life. We’ve always cared. You don’t have to face your demons alone anymore.”</p>
<p>Keith scrunched his nose. He could feel it prickling at his skin again, the cosmic memories he shared with his partner. This was where Lance had folded around Sylvio, his back against a tree as he cradled the crying boy to his chest on Mother’s Day. Lance had yanked Nadia back from a fight here as she howled, kicked, and screeched that she wasn’t dirty even if she had darker skin, tears in his eyes. Lance had held both kids close to him and sang them songs his abuela had built his childhood on, tears hidden behind his eyes because Iverson had screamed at him again in class, had told him he was a failure who’d never amount to anything. This park wasn’t just where Lance, Nadia, and Sylvio had come to connect to their old home. It was where they had forged a new home in the United States.</p>
<p>A home Lance was inviting him into.</p>
<p><i>It’s just because he doesn’t know,</i> hissed that serpent in his brain, <i>it’s because he hasn’t seen how many homes you’ve wrecked, how many you’ve run out of, how many you—</i></p>
<p>But Lance <i>had</i>. Lance had shared his memories, had seen all the foster homes that had driven Keith away and the ones that had held him too close and the ones that had ignored him and the ones that considered conversion therapy. Lance had seen <i>everything</i>. He knew what he was doing when he offered Keith his hand, his heart, his home.</p>
<p>And if there was anyone whose judgement Keith trusted, it was Lance.</p>
<p>“Keith?!” Shrieked Lance, nearly jumping out of his skin as Keith slammed his fist into the palm of his free hand, cheeks puffing up into a pout beneath his fingers. “Are you okay?!”</p>
<p>“Yes. You’re right, and I’m sorry,” replied Keith, pulling back and lacing his fingers with Lance’s, a smile spreading over his lips. “I’ll work on…on getting used to it. I’m just not used to having people who care yet. I’ll get there.”</p>
<p>A faint breeze carried through the courtyard, sending lights dancing through Lance’s wide eyes, and the faintest smell of the flowers surrounding them drifted with the wind. Keith giggled as he saw Lance’s nose twitch just slightly; he could practically feel Lance’s tactile senses cataloging the memory away. No image could play behind Lance’s eyes without a sensation running through his body, and Keith could feel all of them as long as Lance’s hand was in his.</p>
<p>	“I know you will,” stated Lance, squeezing their hands and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “Come on, I’ll drive you home. I don’t want Shiro or Adam to kill me, much less Krolia!”</p>
<p>	Keith snorted out a laugh and brought up their intertwined hands to kiss Lance’s knuckles, a flicker of thought passing through him.</p>
<p>	“Yeah, that’d really suck if you went and died on me before we even had our first month anniversary,” he teased.</p>
<p>	Because Keith knew it wouldn’t be their last.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“It’s fairly self-explanatory,” said Hunk, placing the white metal ovals into his teammates’ hands, a half-hidden yawn coloring his words. “There’s a color on each one that corresponds to everyone’s colors. Keith’s black one has a K on it, Lance’s has an L, Shiro is blue, I’m yellow, ……Pidgeisgreen, Allura’s red, Coran is orange, Adam is grey, Krolia’s purple, Matt is pink. And the rainbow colored button will alert all of us,” finished the engineer with an extra yawn and a longing glance at the door. “So, uh, is there anything else? Because I kinda need to finish calibrating these new blasters…”</p>
<p>	“Uh, actually!” Cut in Keith, tugging at his fingers and gnawing at his lip as his team turned to give him their full attention. “I do have something to ask you guys. A favor.”</p>
<p>	Keith swallowed, rubbing his thumb over the fingerless gloves he had inherited from his father, and closed his eyes. Because, once, he had been the one climbing a tree while his father shouted encouragement from below. Once, Keith had been the one dangling from his father’s arm, he had been the one stealing bites from his dad’s sandwiches on their picnics, and he had been the one led by the hand to secret hideouts that meant something only to the two of them. Keith had been the one held close whenever Mother’s Day came around, the one pulled away from fights when his humanity was questioned, the one clung to and hidden from his father’s tears after a rough day. He had been half of a tiny family who faced the world head-on, them against the universe, hand-in-hand throughout anything and everything. Keith had been his father’s little soldier, his pride, his love, his life, his everything.</p>
<p>And it had gone both ways. When Keith’s father went into that fire and didn’t come out, Keith lost his entire world. His father, his family, his hero, his trust, his love, his everything. All of it went up in smoke. And if his dad, who was stronger than anyone Keith had ever met, couldn’t hold onto him, then who could?</p>
<p>“In a few weeks it’s, uh……it’s the ten-year anniversary of my dad’s death,” said Keith softly, staring down at his gloves. “I’m going to visit his grave in the morning. If…if you can, I’d like for you guys to come,” he murmured, tipping his head up and swallowing. “I want to show Dad the family I have now. I want him to see that he doesn’t have to worry about me. Not anymore.”</p>
<p>Keith wanted to believe his dad had been among the stars this whole time, had watched as Keith fumbled his way through this war back to his family, had seen the glow Lance brought to his eyes, the tension Hunk drained from his shoulders, the shrieks Pidge pulled from his mouth, the open arms he offered Shiro, the way he and Allura danced around each other on the battlefield like they were born to fight and trust together, the pranks he pulled with Adam, the stories he and Coran traded, the endless rounds of rock-paper-scissors he had lost to Matt (eventually, he had just pulled out Alien and destroyed everything while cackling), the soft looks he had begun to share with Krolia. Keith wanted to believe that his dad had watched his space family form, that he was trying to peer through the Garrison roof right then and see what his son was doing now. He wanted to believe he had never truly lost his dad.</p>
<p>“I, uh, already asked Pidge but…will you guys come with me?”</p>
<p>“Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeith!” Wailed Hunk, scooping the Black Paladin off the ground in a bear hug. “Of course I’ll come, buddyyyyyy! Thank you for asking meeeee!”</p>
<p>“It would be my greatest honor to attend,” promised Allura, placing a hand on his shoulder and smiling softly. “Thank you, Keith.”</p>
<p>“You know I’ll be there,” said Shiro, ruffling Keith’s hair and grinning until his face looked like it was going to split in two.</p>
<p>“Where else would I be?” Agreed Adam, poking Keith’s forehead and beaming at the smaller man.</p>
<p>“I WOULD BE MORE THAN PLEASED TO ATTEND, NUMBER FOUR!” Cried Coran, tackling Keith from his perch in Hunk’s arms. “I PROMISE TO LEARN AND CONDUCT THE PROPER EARTHEN RITUALS WITH ALL OF MY HEART, MY BOY!”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Keith,” murmured Krolia, pressing her palm to his back. “I will gladly come.”</p>
<p>Lance grinned, leaning forward and pressing a soft peck to Keith’s lips, one hand cradling Keith’s cheek as if to hold up his heart under the sheer torrent of love coming from his family. Keith smiled. <i>No need to worry</i>, whispered that one voice Keith treasured above all else: the one that never seemed to stop believing. <i>I’ve been waiting so long for this, I already have a ship built of faith to hold me up under this.</i></p>
<p>“Thanks for inviting me, Mullet,” murmured Lance. “And you know I’m happy to come. Plus, I have leftover incense sticks in my house; I think Shiro mentioned you liked the tradition?”</p>
<p>Keith chuckled, relaxing into the crushing grip of Hunk and Coran, the steady hold of Krolia and Allura, the light touches of Adam and Shiro, and the warmth of Lance. And he swore, for just one tick, that he felt his dad pat him on the back just like when he used to pass a test and run home with a smile too big for such small, chubby cheeks.</p>
<p>Keith would blame the tears on the tight hugs of his family.</p>
<p>“Thank you, guys. I really love you all.”</p>
<p>“And we love you, Keith,” promised Allura, squeezing his shoulder as tears lined her eyes. “We always will.”</p>
<p>“No matter what,” agreed Lance, smile outshining the sun and settling like a warm quilt over Keith. “We’re your family, bud. Nothing’s going to change that.”</p>
<p>“Forever,” said Shiro softly.</p>
<p>“And always,” echoed Adam.</p>
<p>“We won’t let you go,” managed Hunk between his tears.</p>
<p>“Never again,” said Krolia firmly.</p>
<p>“You will always have a home with us,” stated Coran. “So don’t hesitate to ask us for anything, my boy. We love you.”</p>
<p>Keith knew that. Somehow, in just one decaphoeb, he had come to know so much about his family. And, more than anything else, he <i>knew</i> these people would always be waiting with open arms, open doors, an open love for him.</p>
<p>His gloom crawled away under the gleaming laughter of his family, and Keith giggled as Hunk began to crush him, Lance cried out something about him turning blue, Coran started running around the room screeching, Allura cried out a protest to his reaction, Krolia raised an eyebrow, Shiro dropped his forehead into his hand, and Adam muttered something about them never having anything nice. Keith sighed, his fears falling away at the glowing love of his family.</p>
<p>And, hidden in the light of the day, a star gleamed brightly as Keith finally began to laugh.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Bet My Love On You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Keith smiled as he caught sight of Lance’s kids, and he relaxed against the hoverbike again. When he had first offered to pick up Sylvio and Nadia, it had been mostly so Lance’s head wouldn’t implode from the repercussions of missing a crucial meeting with the leader of the Usarkis, and Lance stared at him like Keith had just offered him a cactus and told him to snuggle it. Keith couldn’t blame him; Lance had been picking his kids up by himself as long as he’d had them. The idea of anyone else doing it was crazier than anything they had done in the last decaphoeb together.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Pidge, you’ve got approximately two dobashes to finish hacking and then we have to <i>jet</i>,” hissed Matt, the door digging into his back as Pidge’s fingers rained down like lightning strikes on the console, her eyes raking over the Galran code.</p><p>	Thank everything holy that Lance and Hunk had succeeded in making her a visual translator from Galran to English small enough to be attached easily to her glasses or she would have probably gotten Matt sucked out into space by now. Plus, Hunk had encoded Rover with one of the destroyed sentry’s credentials into the device, so all he had to do was scan into any monitor and she could get a low enough level access for her to hack her way up. But, honestly, if they had managed to make a device that stopped time before she left, that would probably have been the most helpful.</p><p>	Pidge’s teeth snapped against each other, her gloves nearly slipping off the keys as she copied a line of code before deleting it, fingers clicking in a different sequence by just a hairline. No one would notice unless Pidge gave them a reason to.</p><p>	“Right,” hissed Pidge, snapping her laptop shut and tossing it to Matt before pressing a button at the edge of each glove to retract the top part of the fingers.</p><p>	Somehow, seeing the familiar fingerless gloves made her feel a little closer to Keith. “Let’s move!”</p><p>	Matt nodded, jerking the cord attached to the top of the air ducts down. Pidge dashed across the floor, not bothering to wait for him to make a platform with his hands for her; she knew he’d have one by the time she was there. Rover hummed along happily behind her.</p><p>	Matt launched her into the air duct, and Pidge rolled just a tick before entering to slip down more easily. Well, even more easily than her new clothes allowed. And, sure, maybe she had been ready to split Lance’s head when she noticed that the black, long-sleeved shirt was tight, but given the number of times she had torn her loose one climbing through the shafts, she could hardly blame him. Plus, the short-sleeved, cropped hoodie that went over it was <i>soft</i> and strangely warm during the night. It was kind of like being enveloped in a big hug. And it didn’t hurt that it had a similar design to her old t-shirt, just with the Voltron symbol sewn on each sleeve. Hand-sewn, according to Matt, and Pidge was definitely not doubting his eye. The only one who could match him was Lance.</p><p>	Pidge dropped out of the air duct, rolling across the floor and skidding to a stop, hand hovering over her bayard while she checked for any sentries. Matt was out a tick behind her, his extendable staff already clenched in his fist and eyes flitting to Pidge as her shoulders bunched.</p><p>	“One coming down the left corridor,” replied Pidge, tapping Rover with a smirk as the robot flew beside her. “You got this guy, buddy?”</p><p>	Rover beeped cheerily, flitting out into the hallway, and Pidge leaned against the wall next to Matt with a grin. Matt chuckled, yanking her hood over her head, and Pidge lightly decked his arm in retaliation.</p><p>	“And this is why no one should ever mess with any of the Holts,” commented Matt with a smirk as the faint buzzing of Rover electrocuting the droid while simultaneously filing a report on the “faulty” robot filled the corridor. “One is already a force of nature…”</p><p>	“And two are an intergalactic powerhouse,” finished Pidge, bumping her fist against her brother’s and sharing in his smirk.</p><p>	God, could she get used to this. From the unconditional trust to the hivemind they had begun to share after only three quintants in Haggar’s ship, she could practically feel Matt’s heartbeat in time with her own at this point. And when their smiles widened, growing brighter from each other’s as they took off down the hallway, it felt almost like she had brought some of her Voltron family with her back up into space.</p><p>	Like maybe their bond was starting to shift.</p><p>	“Come on,” teased Pidge, amber eyes sparkling in the light as she dashed around a corner. “Last one to the hideout is a rotten egg!”</p><p>	“Oh, you are <i>on</i>, gremlin!”</p><p>	Pidge laughed as Rover darted ahead of them in a streak of light, and she dashed after her robot with a barely-suppressed whoop. It felt so <i>good</i> to be free again.</p><p> </p><p>	“Nadia, Sylvio!” Called Keith, raising his hand in a wave from where his hoverbike was parked in front of the school exactly where it had been for the last movement when the twins’ school let out. “I’m over here!”</p><p>	Keith smiled as he caught sight of Lance’s kids, and he relaxed against the hoverbike again. When he had first offered to pick up Sylvio and Nadia, it had been mostly so Lance’s head wouldn’t implode from the repercussions of missing a crucial meeting with the leader of the Usarkis, and Lance stared at him like Keith had just offered him a cactus and told him to snuggle it. Keith couldn’t blame him; Lance had been picking his kids up by himself as long as he’d had them. The idea of anyone else doing it was crazier than anything they had done in the last decaphoeb together.</p><p>	Keith was still fairly sure the only reason Lance had accepted his offer was because Allura had stormed into the room with the news that the meeting was starting a varga early (as in, right then) because Zarkon had reconquered a planet who needed reinforcements and Lance had looked two words away from passing out. Lance had turned to Keith, the sea in his eyes on the verge of tearing apart, and Keith stated he would pick up the kids, walking out before Lance could protest. And, sure, the twins had been ecstatic at spending time with their new Tío Keith (especially since he brought them chips), but it had still nearly knocked Keith over when <i>Lance</i> suggested he pick up the twins the next day.</p><p>	<i>Lance smiled, straightening his paperwork that would dedicate Earth’s Blade reinforcements to retaking Usalarok, and tucking it under one arm before dropping a kiss on Keith’s forehead.</i></p><p>
  <i>	“They seemed to have a lot of fun,” he commented offhandedly, as if he hadn’t just melted Keith’s brain into a tiny puddle. “Plus, if there’s anyone I’m going to trust with them, it would be you. You’re my partner after all…and I think it would be nice for them to have you in their lives. To know you before I tell them we’re a couple.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>	Lance’s lips pursed, a shadow clouding his blue eyes, and Keith’s heart clenched. He snatched Lance’s hand off the table, bringing it to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to those battle-hardened knuckles he knew better than anyone else.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>	“You can do it,” he blurted out, indigo eyes burning into Lance’s lightning-blue irises. “And when you do, I’ll be right there beside you. No matter what.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>	Lance blinked, eyes flickering wide for just a tick before a smile curled across his lips. He squeezed Keith’s hand, and gave a quick, almost harsh, nod. The type he did whenever he didn’t believe what he was saying.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>	“Obviously!” He scoffed, smirking at Keith warmly. “I’m the master bisexual, after all! Now hurry up! Nadia and Sylvio don’t like being kept waiting!”</i>
</p><p>	“Tío Keith!” Squealed Sylvio, tackling Keith back to the present with a flying hug. “Tío Keith, guess what happened today!”</p><p>	Nadia dashed up behind Sylvio, brown eyes flashing over Keith once with that sharpness he had noticed so early on, and a grin shining across her face.</p><p>	“Guess guess guess!” She cheered, wrapping his legs in a quick hug. “Sylvio did something awesome today, so you have to guess!”</p><p>	Keith chuckled, bending down to sweep Nadia onto the hoverbike as Sylvio snuggled into him.</p><p>“Did you guys have a test today?” Asked Keith, swinging Sylvio into the bike seat Hunk had helped him add when he started taking Lance’s kids to and from school. “Or was it a gym day?”</p><p>“There was a pop quiz!” Replied Sylvio, bouncing in his seat as Nadia squirmed into her seatbelt. “And guess what I did?!”</p><p>“He got the top score in the class!” Blurted out Nadia, grinning ear-to-ear. “Mr. Edwards was super impressed! He even let Sylvio doodle during the plant lesson!”</p><p>“No, he didn’t!” Protested Sylvio, shoving his sister lightly as Keith hopped back into the driver’s seat. “He didn’t even notice! I was stealthy! And he was supposed to guess, Nadiaaaaa!”</p><p>Keith laughed, twisting in his seat and carding his fingers through Sylvio’s hair in the smooth, long strokes he had seen Lance always do. Sylvio’s pout melted away, and he leaned into the touch with a faint hum that almost sounded like a purr. Nadia’s smile grew a touch sharper, her eyes fixed on Keith’s hand, and he barely managed to bite back a giggle. Lance had raised two kittens.</p><p>“That’s really amazing, Sylvio,” he said, ruffling the boy’s hair at the last tick. “I know you’ve been working really hard, and it’s paying off. I’m proud of you.”</p><p>Sylvio’s smile engulfed his face, lighting it up like the sun, and Nadia’s hand inched closer to his silently. Keith smiled softly, turning back to the road and revving the engine extra loud; it always made Nadia squeal.</p><p>“How was the rest of the day? And, Nadia, how did the pop quiz go for you?”</p><p> </p><p>By the time Keith pulled up in front of the McClain house, he knew that Leo had mispronounced <i>see you later</i> in Spanish for the fifth time that week, Nadia was still the undefeated champion of tree-climbing, some “Erika” had given her juice box to Sylvio after he accidentally knocked his over, and that his cheeks ached from smiling. Keith grinned as Nadia huffed about their latest soccer loss, insisting that if Henry had just <i>passed to Leo instead of Nick, they could have won! </i>and parked his bike.</p><p>“If I’d been on the field, I would have stolen it from Henry and kicked it to Leo myself!” Grumbled Nadia, slinging Sylvio’s backpack over her shoulder while Keith unbuckled the sleeping boy with a faint <i>click</i>. “Heck, I probably could have shot it from there! If I had just angled it a little towards Nick, no one would’ve been able to run far enough to block it!”</p><p>“If you were on the field, they wouldn’t have gotten that last point at all,” added Keith, flashing Nadia a smile as he slid Sylvio onto his back. “You’d have stolen it from the striker before he was halfway to your goal.”</p><p>Nadia’s fingers went taut, and Keith adjusted Sylvio on his back, turning towards the house as her nails dug into her palms. The backpacks rose along with her shoulders, and she stepped forwards, her toes nearly scraping the ground in the rush, and the words that had been searing through her since she first saw Keith standing beside her Papi, hands just barely brushing, and <i>looking at him like he was worth the entire world</i> surging up to her lips—</p><p>The front door burst open, and Keith raised a finger to his lips in an automatic warning to Lance as he flew out of the house, his welcoming cry cut off halfway at the sight of his sleeping son. Nadia giggled as Lance puffed his cheeks out, pretending the rest of his words had been captured and were fighting to get out of his mouth. He looked like an overly ambitious chipmunk.</p><p>Keith giggled, stepping into Lance’s hug and melting at the warmth that instantly enveloped him.</p><p>“Is Hunk still in the basement?” He whispered, sneaking a kiss to Lance’s cheek when Nadia turned to adjust her backpack. “Or has Shiro taken it over to practice his latest technique?”</p><p>Lance giggled, kneeling just in time to catch his little princess in a twirling hug, and Keith barely resisted the urge to coo. He could still feel Black’s armrests biting into his armor, Lance’s hand tight around his, the memories flowing through them until he could almost hear Lance’s laughter as he swept the newly walking twins into his arms. The nights Lance stared at the stars, tracing constellations to give Nadia and Sylvio once he was back together with them, the bags of presents he had collected for his kids over the decaphoeb, the songs he skipped every time they came on……Keith had all of that memorized phoebs ago. But this warmth? This pure <i>joy</i> that outshone even those in his memories? This was a Lance that Keith had never seen before.</p><p>And this was a Lance that Keith had fallen in love with the tick he met him.</p><p>“Yeah, Hunk’s moved to the kitchen to start on dinner,” replied Lance, his lips pursing slightly as he settled Nadia on his back. “Shiro’s running drills with Krolia in the basement, and both Allura and Acxa are in the living room with the final details on the Olkari’s offense. We’re hoping for a report from Kuron by the end of the quintant, but…no guarantees. Connection seems unstable.”</p><p>	“So you’re close to being done?” Asked Keith, holding the door open as Lance slid inside, flashing a smile at Allura’s flushed chevrons and Acxa’s glittering, silver ears.</p><p>	Keith followed, locking the door behind himself, and Allura turned with Acxa to raise tired waves at the paladins. Nadia stuck out her hand and waved back vehemently, and Keith could practically see the tension ease from Lance’s shoulders. He could definitely see the bags dragging the shine out of those summer sky eyes, the exhaustion hanging over his boyfriend’s head like a thunderstorm, and the faint tremor in all of his movements.</p><p>	Right, Keith was going to beat him over the head with this idea that <i>rest</i> was good for him until his boyfriend went the quiznak to sleep tonight!</p><p>Nadia squinted at her papi. She snuck a hand around his shoulder and gave a quick tug on his ear before snatching her arm back. Lance blinked, turning and making a face at the smaller girl as she giggled.</p><p>“You little imp,” he teased. “I’m just fine, stop trying to test my reflexes!”</p><p>“Awwwww, but Sylvio hates sleeping alone and I have homework!” She whined, her brown eyes shimmering as they grew wide as the moon, her bottom lip sliding out in a pout and her head tilting just a little to the side.</p><p>Lance clutched his chest, reeling to the side dramatically.</p><p>“Mi corazón! It cannot handle mi princesita’s cuteness!” He proclaimed, pressing a kiss to her forehead and booping her nose. “Your wish is my command! However, the little princess needs help with her homework, I do believe?”</p><p>“I’ll help!” Blurted out Keith, stepping a little closer and winking at Nadia. “The beloved prince shouldn’t sleep alone tonight!”</p><p>Nadia giggled, booping Lance’s nose and curtsying with flair at the two paladins.</p><p>“And the prince must not be awakened as his carriage bears him upstairs!” She teased, a grin glowing across her face as Lance responded with a mock offended look.</p><p>“You wound me, Your Majesty!” He replied, gingerly scooping Sylvio off of Keith’s back. “This <i>carriage</i> is a Black Lion of Love and Justice! It would never dream of awakening your brother!”</p><p>Nadia stuffed her hands over her mouth to hide her laughter as Lance made his stately way upstairs, Keith’s giggles, Acxa’s soft smile, and Allura’s queenly waves following his ascent to the second floor. Allura smirked at Keith, sliding the remaining papers under the basket of fruit on the table, and sliding over to hip-check him, one hand still twined with Acxa’s.</p><p>“Well, with our local drama queen finally resting,” she said with a yawn, taking Acxa gingerly by the arm, loose enough that the general could pull away if she wanted to. “I believe I shall sleep as well. Please ensure that he does not so much as touch those documents without me by his side?”</p><p>“You got it,” promised Keith, giving her a fond hug. “Sleep well, Allura. Keep her safe, Acxa.”</p><p>Allura’s Altean marks lit up a tulip pink, and Acxa’s splutters were eclipsed by the glow off her ears as Keith chuckled. Allura just returned the hug with a bone-cracking squeeze, and sighed as Nadia slipped past them. Her cerulean eyes flitted from the smaller girl to Keith, who looked ticks away from leaping beside her to make sure she wasn’t struggling with her homework, and Lance’s words from barely a quintant ago thundered through her ears……</p><p>“Allura, don’t fall asleep on me,” muttered Keith, barely managing to keep from rolling his eyes as Nadia cackled at the drooling space princess. “Geez, like brother, like sister.”</p><p>Acxa just giggled, scooping Allura into her arms, and smiling at Keith.</p><p>“I shall help her to bed,” she promised. “Which room is hers?”</p><p>Keith just arched an eyebrow.</p><p>“Don’t underestimate the weird layout of this house just because it isn’t the Castle of Lions,” he replied, turning to flash a sheepish smile at Nadia. “You going to be okay for a few dobashes—er, minutes—while I put the last of our resident workaholics to sleep?”</p><p>Though, if Pidge were still here, that would be an entirely different battle. Keith’s teeth sank into his lip at the thought, and he barely registered Nadia’s nod before turning away, as if to escape the gaping hole in all of their lives. It was a hole they were all trying to fill in their own way, the gap of someone they loved and lived with being gone, however temporary, and in danger at all times. The hole of knowing that they might never see their little sister again, and there was nothing they could do to protect her.</p><p>After well over a decaphoeb of fighting, living, laughing, growing, and loving together, to not have Pidge around felt…wrong, on every single level. They had all <i>made</i> this life for themselves <i>together</i>. It wasn’t a life meant for eight; it was meant for all ten of them. It was a life with Hunk and Pidge goofing off over their latest breakthroughs in their own techie language, not one with Hunk trying to drown his fears for his best friend by rotating between work and cooking. It was a life with Lance cartwheeling through wires and gadgets to get to Pidge, throwing her out to Matt, and spiralling his way out to get the gremlin to sleep. It wasn’t a life where Lance’s face crumpled whenever nighttime came and the green blankets in the room remained untouched. Pidge hated it whenever anyone messed with her things.</p><p>It was a life where Adam would go down to the lab and antagonize Pidge, the two comparing knowledge and combining it to create the most nightmarish pranks the universe had ever seen, not one where Adam coded himself to tears trying to safely contact the Holt siblings. It was a life where Shiro whined as Pidge teased him endlessly for how long it had taken him to decide to propose to Adam again, not one where he fought invisible enemies alone in the basement. It was one where Allura would challenge Pidge to video game tournaments that could be heard throughout the entire Castleship, not one where she fell asleep everytime she blinked a little too long. It was a life where Coran hopped around looking for Pidge to help him with the Castle’s inner workings and she found the craziest places to scamper away to in order to continue her own work (it became their own version of hide-and-seek). It wasn’t a life where Coran did it all himself with the occasional chirp and greeting weighed down with the potential loss of another child.</p><p>And <i>Matt</i>. God, the gap he left behind, especially in Shiro, Lance, and Allura’s lives, that was irreplaceable. Keith had loved the guy, but seeing the way those three would swivel with a joke on their lips, the light in their eyes dissipating and a piece of their heart audibly breaking……it was something more for them. Shiro had known Matt for ages; he was his <i>best friend</i>. Keith knew better than almost anyone how much it hurt to lose that. They didn’t even need to speak, their organized chaos could be communicated with a smirk and nothing else. Keith honestly hadn’t noticed how close Allura and Lance were to Matt, the way that the three of them seemed to have this code (particularly Matt and Lance) when it came to those they loved, and the unspoken understanding of what each of them needed. No matter the question, those three could solve it as long as they were together, particularly when it came to one another.</p><p>Keith only had to turn to Shiro, to glance at the older man to instantly understand his mood, his wants, his needs, everything that came with his mind in that instant, whether it was <i>I-need-this-ship-to-not-blow-up-so-I-don’t-lose-everyone-I-love</i> or <i>I-want-Doritos-quiznak</i>, Keith was always one step ahead of the others (minus Adam) when it came to his brother. Siblings were truly something to be feared. And, somewhere along the way, Matt had become more than just their sister’s brother, an honorary member of the family; he had become Lance and Allura’s brother.</p><p>Keith slid Allura into the bed, covering her tenderly with the sheets, and tucked a curl out of her face. Maybe, someday, he might be able to claim the same thing with Matt.</p><p>He hoped so.</p><p>Nadia tapped her pencil against her chin, studying the worksheet off-handedly. Her problem had nothing to do with math; she could ace that in a second if she wanted to. But there were things that mattered a tiny bit more than the fact that 7 + 19 = 26  like, oh just for example, <i>her family that she had <b>just</b> gotten back after being told for over a year that her papi wasn’t even <b>alive!</b></i></p><p>Nadia sighed, dropping her pencil onto the table and taking to flicking it with her fingers as the faint wooden creak of the stairs behind her warned Nadia that someone was coming downstairs. She could practically hear Keith wince at each tiny noise he made, despite the fact that Hunk was clattering away in the kitchen, and Nadia tried not to think too hard about why silent movement seemed so pivotal to all of the paladins. Even Papi, who had once jumped on all the creakiest parts of the stairs to make a little good morning song for the twins, now moved silently even in his clunkiest boots.</p><p>Nadia bit her lip, twisting around to look at Keith as he approached the couch, his movements halting and rough. Huh. He kind of reminded her of Sylvio whenever he was trying to do a new gymnastics move.</p><p>“Do you need any help?” Asked Keith, gesturing to the papers on the table while his thumb rubbed over his forefinger, his purple mark bobbing as he spoke.</p><p>Just like her papi’s weird blue tattoos. She wondered if she could get some without having to go to space…</p><p>“Nah, all this is easy,” promised Nadia, but she scooted over anyway. “But, uh, Tío Keith?”</p><p>“Mmm?”</p><p>Keith slid next to her, his back ramrod straight, and he turned to face her head-on, his indigo eyes glued to her with undivided attention. Nadia wondered if maybe that was her favorite thing about him, the way he didn’t look at her with any sort of condescension, with any mockery, with any less respect than he did anyone else. When he listened, he <i>listened</i>. He could tell her the same story almost word for word quintants later, a faint smile on his lips, and eyes <i>so much like her papi’s whenever he looked at her that it hurt—</i></p><p>“Sylvio’s really good at drawing!” Blurted out Nadia, heart nearly tearing through her chest as Keith’s eyes remained fixed on her, now crinkled with that familiar confusion.</p><p>“Uh—”</p><p>“He’s really <i>really</i> good,” stressed Nadia, her grip tightening around the innocent pencil. “And-and he’s fast too! I bet he could try for track and field in middle school! He’s good at math too, even if he doesn’t like it, and-uh-he’s the best thumb wrestler I know! He can cut out perfect paper ribbons too, like the kind you win from soccer matches! And he’s the sweetest guy ever! Sylvio always helps everyone at school, even if they’re mean to him, and-and-and he’s the best! He’s the best brother ever!”</p><p>Keith nodded, a smile blooming across his lips and curling up into his eyes, but not a mocking or laughing one. It was soft, similarly eager at the compliments to her family and almost…wistful, maybe?</p><p>Nadia wasn’t sure, her heart pounding too loud for any thought to get much focus from her right then. “And did you know that Papi’s makes the best cherry pie ever?! He, uh, he can carry all of us and our clothes upstairs, and he even balances things on his head! Plus, Papi has the best singing voice in the universe!” She cried, hands flying wide apart as if trying to encompass her papi’s entire vocal range in one movement. “He can sing suuuuuuper high and it’s really pretty! He can even finish a Rubik’s Cube in two minutes! He’s really, really smart! He’s always there if we need him, and he has the best games ever and, uh, he’s good! He’s the best father ever! In the whole universe! Papi chose us when no one else would, and he loved us when no one else could!”</p><p>Keith cringed, his father’s strong back blocking out all the adults whispering and pointing at him as <i>unlovable</i> clouding over his eyes. Nadia’s words tripped in her throat at the hesitation.</p><p>“Papi gives the best hugs too!” She managed, fists squeezing and releasing as tears began to build behind her eyes. “He’s creative too! He makes us the best costumes for Halloween, and, uh, he’s always on time to pick us up! Like you! He-he’s the best papi! And, uh, I won the jump rope contest this spring for double unders! I can kind of cook a little bit, and…oh! I can do my times tables early because Papi taught me with gummy bears! I can climb super high too, and, uh, I got an A on my book report recently! I’m-I’m a good fighter, but I don’t start fights! I just don’t like it when other kids get hit and are too scared to hit back! But, uh, I don’t like fighting—”</p><p>Nadia’s visions blurred, her voice hiccuping in her chest, and Keith’s hand settled carefully on her shoulder, like a butterfly. Like a promise that he wanted to hear what she had to say. That he cared.</p><p>“I’m good!” She finally cried. “Syl is too! And-and Papi is! I just—I—we—we’re a family! Me, Papi, Sylvio, we’re a family, and we’re a good one! And-and Tío Marco, Tía Veronica, Tío Luis, and Tía Rachel are all great! Abuela is amazing too, and we-we’re all a family, but…but-but Papi, Sylvio and I, we’re a <i>family</i>,” she tried to explain, leaning back into Keith’s steady touch on her shoulder. “And whenever anyone else came in, especially when Papi…vanished, they would leave again after, like, a week. They’d come home for the holidays and help us a little, and then they’d leave again, and it would just be Sylvio and I. Abuela made us lunches, but we were…alone. But now, Papi’s <i>back</i>. He’s home, and…and I’m sick of people leaving!” She burst out, tears finally free to roll down her cheeks as she clenched her fists tightly. “I’m tired of them leaving Sylvio and I to pick up the pieces! It’s not fair! And I can’t watch Sylvio go through that again! He trusts so easily, and he loves <i>so much</i>. I can’t—I can’t—!”</p><p>Nadia’s words were consumed by the flood of tears cascading down her cheeks, and Tío Keith rubbed her shoulder silently, nodding for her to continue whenever she was ready. Nadia gave a hiccuping gasp for air. “Look, if you’re going to leave us, just <i>leave!</i>” She yelled, slamming her fist into the couch even though <i>that’s not what she wanted to say, why was she doing this, why was she pushing him away?</i> “Don’t play games or mess around with us, just <i>go away and don’t pretend to be our family if you can’t stay with us! </i>We don’t need people who don’t want us!”</p><p>
  <i>No, no no no nonono! That’s not it! That’s not why!</i>
</p><p>She spun, turning her streaming brown eyes on him, teeth bared as if to guard her family, and Tío Keith looked back at her steadily, a faint smile on his lips.</p><p>“Walk out!” She shouted. “If you want to go, then just <i>go already!</i>”</p><p>
  <i>…Before I love you more than I can bear.</i>
</p><p>Keith swallowed, holding himself so still he could practically hear Lance teasing him about not being able to do that during meetings. He was used to this. To being yelled at, to being ordered to get out, to feeling like he was messing everything up, that he broke whatever he touched, <i>useless, unlovable, run out before they run out on y—</i></p><p>“…You know, I see a lot of myself in you.”</p><p>Nadia blinked, almost jerking in the process at the soft reply, the familiar, affectionate smile on Tío Keith’s lips. He looked almost nostalgic, except that if nostalgia were clouds, this would be a thunderstorm. “My mom abandoned me right after I was born,” he admitted, the words spilling from his lips like acid. “I found out later that it was because she wanted to protect me, but I grew up thinking it was because she never wanted me. Then Dad died, and I got bounced around families that were never able to love me.”</p><p>Keith winced, the stupid insults they had made out of his last name bouncing around in his ears. Nadia caught his hand, squeezing it almost instinctively, and Keith flashed her a quick smile. “I didn’t think anyone would ever stay in my life,” he continued, softer this time. “Not until I met Shiro. Well, uh, maybe after he didn’t give up on me despite the fact that I had stolen his car, kind of accidentally nearly compromised his reputation, and got in a ton of fights…”</p><p>Nadia snickered, and Keith tousled her hair with a chuckle. “Yeah, I was a mess. And he never gave up on me. That was the first time I think I really understood what it meant to be part of a family. It meant not walking out, especially when those you love need you the most.”</p><p>Keith sighed, his Blade suddenly seeming heavier in his pocket. “I wasn’t great at it, to be honest. Not until I met your Papi.”</p><p>Nadia’s eyes widened, and Keith giggled, offering her a tissue. “Yeah, your Papi showed me that I could stay too. That people <i>wanted</i> me to stay. So, I got good at it, because I never wanted to be the one who walked out on their family. I never want to put other people through what I went through, to make them wonder if there’s something…wrong with them.”</p><p>Keith bent down, tilting his chin until his iron eyes locked with Nadia’s, and he spoke loudly and carefully. “Because there is <i>no one</i> in this entire <i>universe</i> who is unlovable or undeserving of love. Look, Nadia, I’ve spent nearly the last four phoebs staying with my family through the best and worst moments of our lives. We haven’t walked through fire together, no, we’ve walked through lava, through ice, through lightning and earthquakes and lasers, and some things beyond description. But we’ve also walked through joy and love together. Your Papi is amazing; he’s a hero. He’s a killer sharpshooter, he’s a great diplomat and fighter, and he’s one of the best pilots I’ve ever seen. But he’s more than that. He’s smart and creative and funny, he’s sweet and brave and loyal, he’s…everything <i>good</i> in this universe rolled into one, So I know he deserves the best. And I know you and your brother do too, regardless of your abilities, because you’re <i>Nadia</i> and <i>Sylvio</i>.”</p><p>Keith sighed, wiping Nadia’s leftover tears on his sleeve tenderly, keeping his eyes fixed on hers even as he wondered how Lance could ever think she wouldn’t accept her father for who he was. “You want to push people away before they push you away; I know that feeling all too well. Just remember that, sometimes, people won’t know you want them to stay unless you ask. I’m, uh, still kind of getting used to the idea that people want me around, so…look, just, if you ever want me to stay, or just to come, no matter the time…tell me. I’ll be there, no matter what, because I am never giving up on you, Nadia.”</p><p>He smiled, booping her nose gently and relishing in the warmth of Shiro’s words washing over him once more as he passed them on to someone else. “But, more importantly, you can’t give up on yourself. You are worth people staying. Try to remember that, okay? And I know how hard it is to learn,” he admitted, placing a hand on her back, “so I’ll make sure I’m always around to remind you that you’re worth it.”</p><p>Nadia stared, tremors passing through her body and shaking her lower lip, and fresh tears blooming in her eyes. Keith jerked back, pure panic flashing through his eyes like a lightning bolt because <i>quiznak, he messed it up again, this was why he wasn’t the one who handled messy things like emotions, that was Lance’s job his specialty quiznak quiznak quiznak he made a kid cry he made Nadia cry—</i></p><p>Nadia lunged after him, her skinny arms wrapping around his stomach and clinging onto him like he was her lifeline as she buried her face in his stomach and let out a scream of pain that instantly shattered Keith’s heart. His arms were moving before he could think, encircling the smaller girl and curling him close to her as if to protect her from the world, from anyone who could possibly hurt her.</p><p>Keith held tight to Nadia as the girl let out a hiccuping sob, clutching his jacket and raising her streaked face to meet his eyes, head-on just as he had met her, and utter a single, broken plea.</p><p>“<i>Stay</i>.”</p><p> </p><p>Lance’s crouched on the stairs, Nadia’s screams sending him rocketing out of bed and down the hall in half a tick. Sylvio was cradled close to his chest, face buried in his shirt despite the boy’s insistence on remaining near his sister, Acxa’s concerned presence hovering behind the group on the stairs, and Allura’s hand was pressed against his back as Nadia’s breathless, shattered plea filled the air. Lance’s breath hitched out a tap dance in his throat, and Allura’s fingers tightened around his jacket as if scared of the air singing her, two sets of flowering blue eyes locked on her brother. Allura’s muscles locked, liquid fear boiling up her throat as Keith remained motionless. Lance’s smile was washing away, flecking off as if drowning under a downpour, and his words from yesterday were still deafening her, spiralling through her mind on repeat……</p><p>
  <i>“He’s so cute, ‘Lura! It’s not fair!” Whined Lance, clinging to Allura as his head bonked against her shoulder rhythmically. “He literally just! Let Sylvio swing from his arm! And twirled Nadia out the door! Like a quiznaking king! ‘Luraaaaaaaaaaaaa!”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Allura let out a tinkling giggle as she patted his head without turning around, her free hand stabbing coordinates into the map.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“I’m aware, Lance; I was there,” she replied, eyes flickering in a light circle and lips curling up at the corners. “I thought you were going to go into cardiac arrest.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Yeah! Me too!” Complained Lance, popping his chin up over her shoulder and arms going tight around her waist as he exhaled. “I was thinking about how good he was with kids and then somehow I couldn’t help thinking that he was really good with <b>my</b> kids and how much they loved him and how comfortable they were around—”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Around their future father?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>It could be teasing, a light remark that Lance could smack her arm for and laugh off if he wanted. Something he could dismiss, or blush and hide from, or shriek her ear off for. Allura didn’t understand the intrinsic dancing around and bad flirting and absurd amounts of glowing blushes that seemed to come with Earthen courtships, but she saw the Altean ideal of family in everything that Lance said. She knew that being parents together was a big deal. Lance had only been officially dating Keith for close to three movements, even if they had been practically a couple for three phoebs before that. Letting Keith into his kids’ lives was a whole other step.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Mm-hm,” murmured Lance, his hug tightening and forehead dropping onto her shoulder. “Mmm-hmm. But that doesn’t mean Keith wants that.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“He wants all of you, Lance,” shot back Allura, one of her hands sneaking down to cover his as well. “Including Nadia and Sylvio’s Papi. Keith is not stupid; he knew what he was agreeing to when he chose you as his partner. You two are in this together, through thick and thin.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“I hope so. I just—”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Lance, the map is short-circuiting, what do I do?!”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Other wire, Allura, other wire!”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“This one?!”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“That one wasn’t even there before! The blue one, Ally! Blue one!”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>The dais nearly fell over as Allura grappled with it, Lance shrieking behind her, and all the reassurances on the tip of her tongue crushed under the responsibilities that flowed from her brother’s. Because of course Keith wanted that, of course he knew that he had also signed up for taking care of Lance’s kids, of course he understood and loved Nadia and Sylvio because he had signed up for them to be <b>his kids—</b></i>
</p><p>
  <i>Because of course Keith knew what it meant to be Lance’s family.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>All the breath left Keith, blown out of him by Nadia’s honest, shattered plea, and he tucked her close to him again, pressing a tentative kiss to her forehead.</p><p>“It’s a promise, Nadia.”</p><p>Nadia curled further into him, burrowing her head into his stomach as tears wracked her shoulders. Keith bit his lip. What Lance would say right now…?</p><p>“Uh, plus, I already know too many McClain secrets to back out now?”</p><p>Nadia cackled through her tears, and Sylvio gave a whoop from the stairs that nearly sent Keith catapulting off the couch with Nadia still in his arms. Sylvio dashed down the stairs, tackling Keith in another hug as their laughter danced across the room, transforming Lance’s eyes into pools of pure light. Allura just shook her head with a fond, slow laugh as she threaded her fingers through Lance’s hair and dropped her voice just barely low enough for him to hear.</p><p>“V thbl fxd ux.”</p><p>Lance shoved her shoulder with a butterfly laugh bubbling forth from his lips before gliding down the stairs to join his family, and Allura spun back up the stairs with a stream of silent giggles, catching Acxa’s hand in her own and swinging it gaily. Her brother was in good hands. And, finally, so were his children.</p><p>Lance grinned, squeezing onto the couch and running a hand through Nadia’s hair as he tucked himself around his family with a soft, contented sigh.</p><p>“Welcome to the family, Keith,” he murmured, resting his chin on Keith’s shoulder as his eyes drooped shut. “Love you.”</p><p>Keith chuckled, running a hand along Nadia’s back as the girl finally relaxed into him, her breaths evening out. Sylvio giggled, squirming into a more comfortable position, and Keith fought down a yawn as his family wrapped him in a cocoon of warmth and love. He finally, truly, had a place to call home. He had a family to stay with.</p><p>And that forever that had seemed so impossible to find as a kid? Well, they were snuggled around him now.</p><p>“Goodnight, Nadia, Sylvio, Lance,” he whispered, dropping kisses on all three of their foreheads. “I love you.”</p><p>“Love you, Tío Keith,” murmured Sylvio, snuggling in, already half-lost in dreamland.</p><p>“Sweet dreams,” whispered Lance, tangling his fingers in Nadia’s hair a little more as he slid into Spanish. “¿Estás bien, mi princesita?”</p><p>Nadia cuddled against them, blowing out a shaky breath, and turned her large, shining brown eyes on Keith and Lance.</p><p>“Stay,” she begged. “Please, stay.”</p><p>Keith brushed a lock of hair out of her face, and Lance curled down an impressive amount to press a kiss to her nose.</p><p>“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he promised.</p><p>Keith smiled as Nadia’s eyes began to droop, fixing on him desperately as she began to slide into sleep.</p><p>“I’ll always be here,” swore Keith, swallowing back tears as the words he had always wanted to be able to say were finally, <i>finally</i> the ones that someone else wanted to hear from him. “I’ll stay.”</p><p>Nadia smiled, melting into the hug, and Lance went limp behind Keith with a happy hum.</p><p>“Thank you, Keith,” he breathed.</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“…For staying.”</p><p>Keith twisted, pressing his lips to Lance’s softly, and pulling back to smile at his half-asleep boyfriend.</p><p>“Thank <i>you</i> for wanting me to stay.”</p><p>	And if Shiro came up to check on dinner half a varga later to find the tiny family passed out on the couch, snuggled around each other like they were already living their greatest dream together, well, there may have been a few pictures left waiting for them to see when they woke up.</p><p>	After all, family moments were best commemorated.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p><p>V thbl fxd ux=I told you so</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Pinky Promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lance giggled as his best friend entertained his family with stories of their adventures in space together, just hushed enough that they weren’t disturbing the rest of the cafeteria. Weekends didn’t mean breaks for the paladins, but if Lance hadn’t let the Garrison get in the way of spending time with his kids, he wasn’t letting some intergalactic war do that either. Shiro and Adam had claimed a meeting with Sanda during this time (mostly to keep her away from the younger paladins with her constant roaring about Zarkon’s increased activities), and Sylvio had whined for a full ten minutes about not having his space abuelos with him! Lance had sent a video of that to Shiro along with Keith full on <i>snorting</i> with laughter in the background.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pidge squished between the escape pods and the wall, shoulders slamming into the freezing metal and heartbeat outpacing even Green’s soothing purrs. Matt crouched a few inches away, face twisted and one hand locked around his staff as the thunder of sentries’ footsteps echoed around them. Rover hovered nearby, one side of the robot silently sliding open, and Pidge grinned at her friend. She added the latest flash drive into the rapidly growing collection, and Matt shot her a hasty smile as Rover secured it. It wasn’t the most critical information, just a more detailed layout of Haggar’s ship and schedule, but Pidge had watched Allura and Lance spin elaborate plans from what she considered useless information too many times for her to pass it up.</p>
<p>	The biggest problem was what they hadn’t found yet.</p>
<p>	Matt’s shoulders rose as the sentries drew closer, a thunderstorm descending on his brow and fingers twisting around the staff. Pidge’s fingers slid closer to her bayard, and Rover shifted until he was tucked into the folds of the nearest ship. The data he held might just be the key to saving Earth; if no one else, he had to escape. He had to survive.</p>
<p>	The sentries dashed past the escape pods, leaping into the fighters nearby, and Matt jerked his head towards the nearest air duct. Pidge dropped to a crouch, holding up five fingers as her bayard shot to her free hand. The weight was familiar, as if a relic of all those phoebs spent invading battleships and blitzing their way to the needed data before blowing themselves out of there. Pidge definitely liked that method better; explosions were a more satisfying finale than sneaking back into the ventilation shafts.</p>
<p>	The sentries sealed their fighters, beginning a scan of the ships, and Pidge dropped a finger, craning her neck to study them. Matt ran a thumb along his staff, eyes locked on the door leading to the hangars, and feet shifting just slightly as Pidge lowered another finger. She bit her lip, barely holding back a hiss as the engines began to start up. Unless they wanted to get sucked out into space with zero oxygen, <i>they were going to have to move soon</i>.</p>
<p>	Pidge glanced at Rover, jerking her head up at the air duct, and the robot let out a low buzz in response. She lowered her third finger and Matt growled as the doors snapped open, a General marching in with a glare sharp enough to cut glass.</p>
<p>	“Stay in formation this time!” She barked into a comm around her neck, and Rover inched over to the air duct cover. “Your movements are instrumental to the Lady Haggar’s plans; do not make a single error, or I shall not hesitate to shoot you where you stand.”</p>
<p>	Matt tugged on Pidge’s sleeve, tipping his head towards the General, and Pidge rolled her eyes, lowering another finger and pointing the last one at Rover as he silently slid the cover off of an air duct going up. She winked, and Matt smirked.</p>
<p>	Maybe they hadn’t found any intel, not even a whisper, on the comet yet, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t find things to help their family back on Earth.</p>
<p>	Pidge dropped her last finger, snapping her bayard around as the hangar doors began to creak open, the ships’ engines blazing to life in a flurry of explosions. Matt latched onto Pidge’s stomach as she whipped the blade into the shaft, its edge digging into the thick metal and the cord yanking the siblings away from the protection of the escape pods. The ships let out resounding roars that had none of the Lions’ warmth, and the hangar doors slid fully open with a whistling rush of oxygen. The General remained in place, tethered to the door with her arms folded and sharp eyes shooting to the side as a flash of green reflected off her helmet.</p>
<p>	Pidge bit back a yell as she flew headfirst down the air duct, curving to wrap one arm around Matt and jerking the other back to recall her bayard. She tore it out of the air duct, snapping it over her head and letting it rip into the top of the air shaft winding so high above them. It bit into the metal, and Pidge smashed her finger into the button to yank the Holt siblings up just ticks before crashing into the back of the air duct. They had a date at the mini observatory a few floors above.</p>
<p>	The General sighed as the little robot fluttered into the air shaft, replacing the cover and trundling away. They really needed to get those air shaft bolts checked; those robots were supposed to be security droids, not cleaning bots. But, she supposed, drastic times called for drastic measures. And, with the destruction of Voltron imminent, they should have plenty of slaves to do it soon enough.</p>
<p>	Pidge grinned at Rover’s careful fluttering after them, Matt throwing her a smile as her bayard pulled them up the shaft. If this operation was so critical to Haggar, then they’d be there with a camera and yet another flash drive recording the data. <i>Still</i>, admitted Pidge, biting her lip as she turned to watch her cord retract into the glowing bayard, <i>if we don’t get intel on that weapon soon, we’re all going to be in a little more than just ‘trouble’.</i></p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“Oh man, and then he was all ‘This is going to sound crazy, but I think I just saw a mermaid’ and I was just like ‘Okay, how hard did you bang your head when we hit the planet?’” Said Hunk, ruffling Sylvio’s hair as the boy scooched his chair closer to gawk at Hunk with sparkling eyes. “But he was right! There was an actual mermaid, and she took us to a huge mermaid village! Then she miiiiiiiind-controoooooooolled us, and we were left <i>dead in the water!</i>”</p>
<p>	Lance giggled as his best friend entertained his family with stories of their adventures in space together, just hushed enough that they weren’t disturbing the rest of the cafeteria. Weekends didn’t mean breaks for the paladins, but if Lance hadn’t let the Garrison get in the way of spending time with his kids, he wasn’t letting some intergalactic war do that either. Shiro and Adam had claimed a meeting with Sanda during this time (mostly to keep her away from the younger paladins with her constant roaring about Zarkon’s increased activities), and Sylvio had whined for a full ten minutes about not having his space abuelos with him! Lance had sent a video of that to Shiro along with Keith full on <i>snorting</i> with laughter in the background.</p>
<p>Hunk leaned forwards, eyebrows wiggling to increase suspense, and Lance let out a laugh as he pushed the tray of broccoli closer to Nadia. She puffed out her cheeks, but Lance tossed her a wink along with his sunniest smile. She knew the rule: as long as you weren’t having an allergic reaction or gagging, you had to try everything on the table. Lance slid a hand over to Sylvio’s knee, two quick taps as a reminder not to fall out of his chair, and Hunk bit back a giggle as the boy righted himself.</p>
<p>“But if you guys were dead in the water, how are you here now?” Asked Sylvio, bouncing in his seat.</p>
<p>Hunk laughed and Nadia stuck out her lower lip, raking some florets of broccoli onto her plate. She screwed up her mouth at them.</p>
<p>“Well,” replied Hunk, tousling Sylvio’s bouncy hair. “Your papi managed to escape the mind-control because some mermaids spirited him away! They put a jellyfish on his head to prevent the hypnosis, and he came to save me. Then we found the monster behind the hypnosis and took him down! It was a <i>hwa pow boooooooooooooooom </i>sort of battle! But your papi finished it off with a sonic boom from his Lion and we became heroes of the planet!”</p>
<p>“OOOOOOOOOOOO!” Squealed Sylvio, nearly flinging his fork across the room in excitement, and Lance snickered as Iverson pinned him with a tiger’s scowl (it had nothing on Allura’s <i>vengeful lion glare</i>, that man was seriously going to have to step up his game if he wanted to intimidate the paladins anymore). “Papi, why didn’t you ever tell me you were a mermaid hero?!”</p>
<p>Keith chuckled as Nadia shot her father an accusing look (though Keith was pretty sure that had more to do with the extra greens she was trying to push around her plate until they disappeared into an alternate reality) and snuck a few extra spoonfuls of mashed potatoes onto Nadia’s plate.</p>
<p>“I was going to!” Replied Lance at his son’s insistent pouting. “I was going to tell you after we made it through <i>the rest of the three phoebs of missions leading up to it!</i> Hunk, you spoiled the best paaaaaart!”</p>
<p>Hunk laughed as Lance playfully tossed a bread roll at his head, sticking out his neck to catch it between his teeth. Lance burst into a fit of laughter, clutching his stomach and rocking back on his chair as Allura looked on with a warm, half-asleep smile. Nadia stuffed all four florets of broccoli into her mouth at once, nose wrinkling up like an offended rabbit’s, and Keith held up his hand for a high-five.</p>
<p>	Nadia pretended to gag for a full thirty seconds until Keith gave in and started laughing, at which point she got a high-five from both her fathers. Sylvio blinked.</p>
<p>“Feebs? Is that a swear word?”</p>
<p>Hunk nearly choked on his bread roll, slamming his fist into his chest while Allura curled over the table, falling victim to a giggle attack. Lance arched an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Why is that your first thought?” He asked slowly as Keith thumped Hunk’s back.</p>
<p>“Ooooooooooooooo, Syl’s in trouuuuble,” teased Nadia, shovelling mashed potatoes into her mouth to cleanse it of the broccoli demons.</p>
<p>“Nadia, don’t talk with your mouth full,” replied Lance lightly, and Keith chuckled. “Sylvio?”</p>
<p>“Well, Leo told me the other day that someone said the ‘F word’ to him,” answered Sylvio, spearing a forkful of peas, “so I thought ‘Feebs’ might be the F word!”</p>
<p>Hunk giggled, partially at the innocent little boy, and mostly at his sister, who had completely fallen asleep at the front of the table.</p>
<p>“Who was mean to Leo?!” Shrieked Nadia, slapping her hands on the table and jerking herself out of the chair. “Where are they now and where do they live?”</p>
<p>Lance cackled, reaching over and tousling her hair.</p>
<p>“Alright, Keithspawn, settle,” he teased, flashing a wink at his puffy-cheeked boyfriend. “Sylvio, who said it to Leo?”</p>
<p>“Some high schooler!” Chirped Sylvio, hurriedly swallowing his peas at his papi’s slowly rising eyebrow. “Leo fell out of a tree onto his head, and the guy’s phone broke! He yelled the F word and then helped Leo home!”</p>
<p>Lance blew out a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>“Was Leo hurt?” Cried Nadia, still ready to spring out the door and run to Leo’s house herself if need be.</p>
<p>	“Nah, he just skinned his knee,” reassured Sylvio. “He’s okay!”</p>
<p>	Nadia mirrored her papi’s sigh, and Hunk couldn’t help the grin spreading over his face at the tiny girl who reminded him so much of his first friend……</p>
<p>	“Cadets!” Boomed Iverson, looming over the table with folded arms and a thunderstorm hovering on his brow. “If—”</p>
<p>	Allura snapped awake, flipping over the table, and Lance spun. In that split tick, his markings glowed white-hot, and the mark on his arm gave a sharp sting as the world slowed down. His foot slingshotted against the chair, shooting him away from the table as Allura used the ground as a trampoline to launch herself at Iverson. Keith twisted, knife raised, and Hunk barely had time to stand up as Allura leapt the last few feet towards Iverson, Lance flying just a few steps behind her.</p>
<p>The Commander’s jaw dropped as the Altean’s fist came within an inch of his nose. Lance’s arms locked around Allura’s waist, pulling her just far enough back that the blow couldn’t land, his voice low as a lullaby.</p>
<p>“Hey, hey, ‘Lura, it’s okay. We’re on Earth, we’re in the Garrison’s cafeteria, there’s no attack. There’s no threat here; it’s just Iverson. I’ve got you, ‘Lura, it’s okay. Come on, wake up.”</p>
<p>Allura’s usually serene ocean eyes were wide and manic, her breaths coming in harsh and fast, and her fist trembling in the open air. Nadia’s jaw dropped, and Sylvio’s tiny hand latched onto Hunk’s automatically as their aunt fought to breathe in their dad’s arms. Lance slid between Allura and Iverson, who had been reduced to a statue in the face of the princess’ rage, and ran a thumb over his sister’s sputtering Altean marks.</p>
<p>“V vedal fxd,” he murmured. “V vedal fxd, ‘Lura. V vedal fxd.”</p>
<p>“Incondicionalmente,” gasped out Allura, blinking harshly before going limp in Lance’s arms. “Incondicionalmente, Lan. Incondicionalmente.”</p>
<p>Lance hummed, his heartbeat roaring in his ears, and he ran a hand over Allura’s back as the faint trill of whispers began to fill the air. Great, just what they needed right now. Iverson’s neck began to bulge like an offended frog, and Lance dug his heels into the ground. Allura’s breathing was slowly evening out, and Hunk was gathering the kids into his arms in case he needed to bolt. Dios mios, why now?! They had finally finished the last of their strategies, and had even prepared both Allura and Hunk’s flight data last night. To already have another diplomatic crisis on their hands…</p>
<p>Lance gritted his teeth, and Allura blew out a steadying breath, closing her eyes as Hunk stared at them. He saw the familiar metal enter Lance’s spine, the rise of his shoulders as if to shield those around him, and the tilting of his chin to lock eyes with Iverson. Hunk felt all the breath leave his lungs as he watched, in those few ticks, Lance transform into the familiar mountain separating whatever threat there was from his family once more. Hunk’s teeth bit into one another; this was how Lance had always been……</p>
<p>
  <i>“¡Oye, boludo!” Screeched the tiny flurry of limbs with a wicked grin as he tore past Hunk, decking the largest bully square across the jaw and cutting off his grab for Hunk. “¡Vamos, pelea con alguien de tu tamaño!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Hunk’s jaw unlocked, falling loose as the bully was sent sprawling into his friends, the cruel words about Hunk’s Tina and Mom dying in the air. The one who had punched them jerked back up, spinning and facing the knocked-over Hunk. The sun turned his hair a searing brown, like a volcano seconds before it exploded, and his eyes caught the light like a tsunami about to strike. He stood tall, spine almost scarily straight, and rolled his shoulders. “¡Si puedes de pie, corre!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Hunk had no clue what any of that meant, but he did know that the big, decidedly <b>grumpy</b> boys were getting back up, and his savior was just a little too skinny to protect Hunk and fight off the three of them at once. The shorter boy spun, fists raised, and chin tilted up to glare lava at the bullies. He bounced on his toes, and shot a cocky grin at the knuckle-cracking bullies. Hunk scrambled backwards, words failing him because, apparently, his hero had not made the same obvious connection he had! Plus, he doubted that his Samoan would do him much good against their Spanish!</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“¿Ay, qué va a hacer la pequeño niña?” Mocked the tallest one, and Hunk whimpered as he retreated slowly.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>The skinny boy stood his ground.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Dar tu moretón algún compañía,” he replied, smirking, and Hunk didn’t need to know Spanish to see the hatred those words bred. “Corre!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Hunk gulped; he had a feeling that command was directed at him, but he still had zero clue what it meant. His fingers clenched and unclenched, but before he could think of any few particles of Spanish he had picked up, Hero (it was just easier for Hunk to think of him like that) shot forwards. He threw himself to the side to dodge a punch, managing to kick the tall one in the shins. As the boy yelped, another one grabbed Hero’s hair, yanking back cruelly. Hero gave a strangled shout, stomping on the guy’s foot just hard enough to gain freedom, but not enough to distract the third one from socking him in the stomach. Hero’s eyes were blown wide as he doubled over, harsh coughs wracking his body as cracked air flowed into his lungs. The other two swarmed him, and Hunk gave a cry as Hero disappeared from sight. What did he do now? Was he supposed to jump in—no, his Tina had warned him against fighting. Should he get a teache—no, they didn’t speak his language either, and they might blame Hero. Uh-um-uh-uh, ask a friend? What friend?! He was brand new, Hunk didn’t have any friends yet!</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Hunk flapped his arms, spinning around as frantic eyes scanned the playground for help. He just needed someone else could come in, another person to save the day, someone, anyone!</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>A shriek sounded from the group, and Hunk nearly screamed as all four boys suddenly toppled to the ground. Hero wriggled out from under them, spitting and kicking, and landed a punch that drew a harsh breath from the pile. The yelling, words snarled back and forth as each boy twisted on the ground, reminded Hunk of the sound his mom’s car had made that one time it broke down. Hero bit into one of the boys’ arms, sinking his teeth in with a growl as his eyes locked with Hunk’s.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>This time, Hunk didn’t need any Spanish to know what those cerulean irises were screaming at him.</i>
</p>
<p><i></i>Run!<i></i></p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk stumbled backwards, his heels catching on the ground as another punch landed on Hero’s head, and Hunk’s stomach dropped out from under him. Run? Where was he supposed to run to? Home? Home was in Samoa, more than 1,000 miles away! His moms were somewhere in Cuba that he couldn’t get to from here! Where was he supposed to run to?!</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>And, more importantly, what was he leaving behind if he ran?</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hero head-butted one of the boys, chin snapping back as a punch landed, and blood dribbled onto the pavement as his lip split. He spat a tooth at another boy’s cheek, and kicked the third coming near. Hunk couldn’t breathe—couldn’t breathe—couldn’t—couldn’t—he couldn’t breathe—!</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk let out a shrill, seemingly endless, echoing scream as the fight continued, tears flooding down his cheeks and sobs shaking the air around him. He wailed, loud and long, only becoming shriller as his voice cracked and Hero was finally pinned to the ground by his three attackers. Hunk screamed until the telltale pound of footsteps brought teachers to the scene, wrestling the three dishevelled, bloody boys off of Hero. A teacher crouched next to Hunk, his voice seeming oddly soft after the cussing match that had taken place between the four boys, but Hunk pushed past him and dashed straight for Hero. The boy was sprawled flat on his back, blood dribbling from his mouth, and bruises already starting to form a collage across his face.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk bent down, offering him a hand as sobs continued to shake his shoulders. He wished he knew enough Spanish to ask if Hero was okay.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hero grinned, teeth flashing a surprisingly blinding smile considering the blood leaking from the edge of it, and shoved himself to his wobbling feet. He seized Hunk’s hand, shaking vigorously, and met Hunk’s eyes with ones that transported Hunk home to the ocean surrounding Samoa.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“¡Hola! Me llamo Leandro!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk blinked incomprehensibly at him, but Hero didn’t seem flustered or even surprised by the lack of reaction. He just threw an arm over Hunk’s shoulders while the teachers tried to drag Hero to the nurse’s office, sunshine grin still bright on his face. “¡Creo que nosotros vamos ser estupendo amigos!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk giggled as Lance showed off the new “finger guns” he had picked up from his brother, Marco, even pulling off a devilish wink.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“They’re perfect for you, Lance!” He decided. “You should be a professional finger gunner!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Woooooo!” Cheered Lance, pumping both fists in the air before catching himself and finger gunning at Hunk again. “But tooooo bad for that profession! I already decided; I’m going to be the best pilot ever when I grow up!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk tilted his head to the side.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Like an airplane pilot? Tina, Mom, and I spent a looooooooong time in an airplane to come to Cuba!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Nope!” Replied Lance, placing his hands on his hips and popping the ‘p’. “I’m gonna go to space!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk squealed, tilting his head back and staring up at the sky. Of course someone like Lance would want to see beyond that, would be able to go further than their sky.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk wondered what it looked like.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“That sounds awesome,” he replied dreamily.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Lance grinned, flopping onto the grass next to Hunk and joining his friend in gazing up at the clouds.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“I bet it’s suuuuuper colorful!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Actually, I’ve heard it’s basically pitch-black,” replied Hunk, and Lance’s lower lip crept out in a pout. “Uh, but there are colorful things in it! Like, um, galaxies! And comets! And shooting stars!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Lance’s face lit up, and he turned eyes on Hunk that could outshine the sun any day.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Whoaaaaaa!” He cried. “You know so much, Hunk!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk chuckled, fiddling with his headband.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Well,” he murmured. “That’s ‘cause I want to go up there too. Uh, not as a pilot, but as an engineer!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk tilted his head back up, the clouds streaming by quickly, and he wondered if the sky would fall away to reveal space in a similar manner to the clouds clearing. “There are so many things we don’t know about it! I hate not knowing,” he admitted with a giggle, “so I want to find out!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Lance squealed, flopping over onto his stomach and poking Hunk insistently.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Hey! Hey, hey!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Mmm?”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“We should go together!” Cheered Lance. “I can pilot the ship and you can fix it up! We should go to space together! Hey, hey, Hunk, promise? Promise we’ll go to space together?”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk twisted, rolling until he was on his stomach facing Lance as well.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“But teams are made up of three people,” he replied, furrowing his brow. “A communications officer too, remember?”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Then we’ll just have to find someone who’s as good at communications as I am at flying!” Replied Lance with a faint scoff. “After all, no way we’ll find one as good as you are with machines!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk flushed, grinning at the pure faith his best friend had in him after a year studying, laughing, climbing, racing, teasing, and growing together. And he’d be cursed if he didn’t live up to that.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“You never know,” decided Hunk. “We might. But, I definitely promise I’ll go up to space with you, Lance!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Lance whooped, holding out his pinky.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“And I pinky promise we’ll go to space together, Hunk!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Huuuuuuunk!” Squealed Lance, tackling his best friend as soon as he walked into the classroom. “Woohoo! We’re in the same class again!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk cheered, picking the skinny boy up and spinning him around the room, Lance’s shrieks of laughter twirling through the air. Hunk hid his smile in the swirling tornado, so large and bright it made his cheeks ache, and out of joy for a change. After all, what kind of best friend would he be if he didn’t notice how Lance had clung to him more and more as the last school year had progressed, homophobic slurs launched at his best friend as people started rumors about why the two boys were so close. He could still see Lance, hands tight around Hunk’s arm as he turned to him, blue eyes holding back tears like a clear sky fighting desperately against the coming rain. He could hear him whispering out a plea for Hunk to leave, that this would hurt him too, that he couldn’t bear to watch his best friend go through more bullying because of him. And he had watched that spine turn to titanium, a plastic smile replacing his friend’s usual sunshine one, and he had sworn that he would never leave Lance alone.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Never.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>So Hunk brought his arms around Lance, squeezing him close, and staring down anyone who so much as smirked at them, just like he guaranteed Lance was doing over his shoulder. Let them all stare, let them whisper and wonder. It just meant they had a friendship closer than anyone else in that room. They were the best friends in the entire universe.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>And they always would be.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Lance cheered, seizing Hunk’s hand and dragging him into the amusement park with a blinding smile.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Come on, come on, come on!” Cried Lance, bouncing on his toes as the freckles sprinkled over his cheeks creased in his joy. “We’ve got to go on the carousel first! That way the lines to the roller coasters will be clear later, and we won’t have to wait super long! Plus, the carousel’s really pretty! They repainted the lions last year, and guess what guess what guess what? That one you love so much got a fresh yellow coat! Come on, Hunk! Hurry up!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk laughed, joining his friend in their mad dash away from the main school group, the chaperones screeching behind them. Lance’s cheeks were already flush with excitement, his hand tight around Hunk’s wrist, and Hunk felt something in his heart melt at Lance’s sunshine grin. Sure, his friend was hyper, and always adored amusement parks, since he so rarely got to go to them. Being in a big family could complicate that at times.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>But that wasn’t the only reason Lance was full-on sprinting away from the school group.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Look, look!” Squealed Lance, handing their tickets to the man in front of the carousel, no line in sight. “Your favorite is free! Come on, Hunk!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk giggled as Lance launched himself onto the mermaid, clambering after his friend and tugging himself onto the lion alongside it. He grinned, the familiar grooves of the lion settling something deep inside of him, and he felt like he could truly breathe easily for the first time in ages. Lance’s eyes flickered past him, two lasers searching out their prey, and his lips quirked in that smug little way that Hunk loved so much. It meant Lance was finally, truly taking pride in himself.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>He had maneuvered Hunk away from the bullies that had been plaguing him from day one without compromising their trip to the amusement park.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk grinned as the ride started, turning as his best friend began those uncontrollable giggles that accompanied each carousel ride.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Thank you, Lance.”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Lance turned, smile glowing off his face and catching in his eyes, throwing stars up into those clear skies of his like they were always meant to be there.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Anytime, Hunk!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Lance!” Called Hunk, leaping out of his seat and dashing to his best friend’s desk as the bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. “Let’s bike home together!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Lance’s grin was a little shaky across his lips as he met Hunk’s eyes, slinging the blue backpack over his shoulders.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“No can do, Hunkers,” he admitted. “I left my bike at home.”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Hunk’s jaw dropped.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“But then how’d you get to school?” He cried. “Last I checked, it’s five miles from here to your house!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Lance laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“I started jogging recently so that I could get here without a bike,” he replied. “The twins are at daycare though, and Mom’s shift ends later. So, I’m going to run and pick them up, but we both know I can’t keep up with any of the Miracle Engineer Hunk’s Magic Bikes!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>He grinned, flashing finger guns at Hunk with a sunny smile, iron seeping into his spine and shoulders rolling back. Hunk’s throat clogged up. He knew Lance had been taking care of Nadia and Sylvio since Veronica’s return to school a few weeks ago (as soon as she could get out of her bed), but Lance had always made time for him. He would call for hours while they did homework, or would visit with the twins in tow. Hunk’s tina insisted on taking care of them while the boys played, and they would throw cards at each other. But still, the second one of the twins started crying, Lance’s face would immediately shift, and he’d be out of the room before Hunk could blink.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Lance was Hunk’s friend, but he was basically the twins’ Papi at that point, and Hunk knew that had to take priority.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>But Hunk was still free to prioritize Lance above everything else in his life.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Then I’ll walk my bike back!” Replied Hunk, seizing Lance’s hand and returning the sunshine grin. “We’ll pick up Nadia and Sylvio together!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	Lance’s face lit up like a firework, and he squeezed Hunk’s hand so hard it almost turned blue, already sprinting for the door with a triumphant whoop. But, even in the flurry of movement, Hunk didn’t miss the tears of joy pricking his friends’ eyes.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	“Hey, how did you manage to get them to let you pick up the twins by yourself? When I ran ahead to get my little siblings from daycare last year, they wouldn’t let me take them! Something about child enga-ger-ment?”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	“Oh, my mom is friends with the head of the daycare! She explained the situation, so they made an exception as long as my mom called in regularly for updates! Plus, they let us leave a stroller there, which is good because Nadia and Sylvio are heavy!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	“What?! But they’re so small!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	“Yep, so small, and so <b>heavy!</b>”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	Hunk squealed as Lance carried Sylvio into the party room on his shoulders. Nadia was clinging to Hunk’s leg, peeking out to look at the conglomeration of family that she was distinctly not used to at this point. Veronica was off in the corner, staying far away from both twins after they had shrieked when she picked them up, wriggling and crying until Lance took them back into his arms. Marco and Rachel were comparing notes on their colleges, and Luis was making sure his mother stayed in her chair instead of fussing over the entire family. Hunk stepped over to his best friend, bumping him with his hip and scooping Nadia into his arms.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	“They’re already one,” Lance murmured in dazed amazement, a faint pink at the edges of his eyes. “I feel like I just brought them home yesterday, but they’re already one somehow.”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	Hunk nodded, and Lance gave a snorting laugh as Nadia caught hold of his best friend’s bandana with the gesture. “Buuuuuuuuuuut it also feels like an eternity since they came,” he added between giggles as his little princess began yanking insistently on the orange fabric.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	Hunk cackled, making no effort to reclaim his bandana from the starry-eyed child in his arms, and beamed at Lance.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	“You’ve been a great dad,” he murmured honestly, adjusting Nadia as he braced for his friend’s dismissive response with some sort of nod to Kenneth.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	Okay, it was obvious to everyone except Lance that he was these kids’ dad! He soothed them, fed them, bathed them, gave them milk, helped them get dressed, played with them, brought them to and from daycare, put them to sleep, and sang them through their midnight crying; he did everything he could for them and more. And, beyond all else, Lance loved them unconditionally. Hunk had watched Lance give his love to so many people, to his siblings, his parents, his friends, his teachers, even his bullies (just not anyone else’s bullies). He gave his love freely, smile only growing wider each time he gave away his heart, regardless of whether those he handed it to would treasure him or not.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	It was one of the things Hunk admired so much about him, but it also never failed to break his heart when he watched someone trod all over his best friend’s love.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	Nadia and Sylvio were different, though. The way his face lit up whenever he described them, his gestures spreading wide and elaborate, his words forged from sunshine and pure love, it was special. Those three were special to each other. For all the love and care Lance gave Nadia and Sylvio, the twins returned with just as much joy and affection to the one who had always been there for them. They were a little family all on their own. And, if Hunk was being honest, Lance was the best father he had ever seen.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	“And they’re the best kids I could ever ask for,” replied Lance quietly, pressing a kiss to Nadia’s forehead before dropping one to Sylvio’s nose. “And you, sir! I crown thee Hunkers, the bestest friend in all the land that ever was, is, and will be!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	Hunk cackled, pulling Lance into a side hug, and squeezing him tight.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	“Right back at you, Lance!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	Hunk screeched as Lance leapt onto the hoverbike prototype that Professor Wazir had been showing them, which he had laughed at and called “a scooter with rockets attached.”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Lance, get back he—!”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Lance flashed him that wicked grin Hunk had only seen once before as his shoulders rose high up, revving the engine as Adam shrieked, and tore after the wallet thief. His hair danced out after him, and Hunk groaned, face-palming.</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>“Aaaaand off he goes,” groaned Hunk, dragging a hand down his face. “Those freaking hoversurfer runs, dear god…”</i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>Professor Wazir was yelling, dashing for his car, and Lance shot around the corner at speeds he definitely should not have been able to reach. Hunk just dropped his hands on his hips and laughed, shaking his head and going over to look at the blueprints. Lance would be back soon enough, and maybe Professor Wazir would consider looking at the concerns Hunk had about that model of hoverbike…</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p>
<p>
    <i>	Lance rubbed Hunk’s back as he threw up into the strangely pristine toilets at the Garrison, tears already streaming down his cheeks that he didn’t know whether to blame his reflexes or anxiety for. Not his top priority at the moment. His top priority was the fact that he had definitely just failed that test, there was no way he had passed, no way his studying had paid off, no way because <b>he didn’t know what he was doing here!</b> Lance was an amazing pilot, the best Hunk had ever seen, and he had an unparalleled drive to succeed; he had more than earned his spot here. Hunk, though? He was just a fidgety guy who had a knack for tinkering…</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Stop that!” Snapped Lance, rubbing Hunk’s back a little more forcefully. “I can practically </i>hear<i> you doubting yourself! Knock it off! Hunk, you’re the best mechanic I’ve ever met! You’ve got tons of experience, you love what you’re doing, and you have a mind practically built out of gears!” He insisted, throwing his arms wide as if trying to show off how qualified he felt Hunk was. “If you don’t deserve to be here, no one does! Professor Wazir and the others just finally saw in you what I’ve always seen!”</i>
</p>
<p>
<i>Lance’s eyes blazed an electric blue, power and love crackling in them as he held up his pinky with a grin forged from steel. “They finally saw that this is what you were born to do. You showed them, just like you’ve shown everyone else up to this point, that you’re going to go farther than anyone else ever has. So, come on. Let’s go show the rest of the universe, together.”</i>
</p>
<p>
      <i>Hunk sniffled, spitting out the last of the bile burning through his throat, and latched his pinky around Lance’s.</i>
</p>
<p>
      <i>	“It’s a promise.”</i>
</p>
<p>
      
</p>
<p>
      <i>And it was one they kept, both of them. They threw themselves into their studies headfirst, helping each other face down demonic teachers, murderous assignments, breakdowns, homesickness, anxiety, and everything else the world had to throw at them. No matter what came at them, even when it stretched out into the universe beyond their planet, Lance kept one hand steady on Hunk’s back. And Hunk always had his hand on Lance’s shoulder, no matter what. Because Lance was the one who had taught him how to laugh freely, to love unconditionally, to be always true to himself no matter what the universe thought of them. And, even if they stepped apart for a while, they would always come back to each other’s side to watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine, cook together, and laugh over “the fish rock” that no one else understood. They were each other’s first friend, their partner in crime for over a decade, their best friend. And they always would be.</i>
</p>
<p>
    
</p>
<p>
    Hunk bit down the rage boiling in his stomach as Iverson raised himself up to tower over them, Lance’s eyes flickering lightning bolts and his Altean markings a searing blue on his cheeks. Allura was starting to raise herself back up, and Nadia was clinging to Hunk’s shoulder, one hand tight in her brother’s.
</p>
<p>
    “Tío Hunk?” Whispered Nadia. “What’s he going to do?”
</p>
<p>
    Hunk swallowed, holding the kids closer, and let out a long, slow breath.
</p>
<p>
    “It doesn’t matter what Iverson does,” he replied, a slow smile taking over his lips as a blur of red slipped into the edge of his vision. “Your papi will protect you, and we’ll protect your papi.”
</p>
<p>
    Keith doused Iverson’s face with water.
</p>
<p>
    It sprayed from the cup, soaking into his uniform and splattering his cap as the Commander let out a <i>shriek</i>. He flailed backwards, crashing into another table, and Keith stepped beside Lance, tossing the glass easily in one hand. Hunk snickered, scooping the twins into his arms and starting out of the room before Lance even asked. After all, the poor boy was a little busy screeching as his boyfriend gave Iverson a vindictive grin.
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“My bad, I thought you were getting heat stroke with how red you were,” deadpanned Keith, sitting down and tossing one leg over his knee, one eyebrow crooked in a challenge.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Allura was cackling, sinking back to her chair with a weak regality, and Lance was dragging his hands down his face with a long groan as Keith snickered. Iverson looked three ticks away from erupting, but when Hunk caught Lance’s eye, he saw the familiar smile glowing in those oceans that had first taught him what it meant to be friends. What it meant to be loved by a stranger, and what it meant to love a stranger.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Lance grinned at Hunk, who saluted with a smirk as Lance squared his shoulders and turned to face Iverson.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“And that, good sir, is why surprising defenders of the universe, especially sleeping ones, is not the greatest idea ever,” commented Lance, flopping into his seat with Allura on one side and Keith tucked against his other, Hunk watching his back and protecting those he loved as he always had.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>There was a reason he still considered Hunk the best friend in the entire universe. He had been knighted, after all. That was a lifetime position. “Now, you were saying?”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Iverson growled, pushing himself off the table.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“You are all being disruptive!” He yelled. “This is no space for children, this is a renowned institution!”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Lance arched an eyebrow.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
“Ah, yes, us having lunch together and talking is far more disruptive than your yelling,” he deadpanned. “And, considering that Keith, Hunk, and I came here when we were twelve, it actually kind of relies on children being, you know, <i>in the refined institution.</i>”
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Iverson growled, low and deep in his throat, and Lance smirked at him. “If that’s all you have to say, I would suggest leaving now,” he added cheerily, smile sharp as a knife’s edge. “After all, we only have so long until our next meeting with Admiral Sanda and—”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“PALADINS!” Roared Adam, slamming the door open as light reflected off his glasses and he nearly gave Hunk a bloody nose. “YOU ARE LATE FOR YOUR MEETING!”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Nadia and Sylvio flinched away, and Adam took a tick to pat their heads apologetically before locking eyes with Lance and jerking his head towards the door. Their next meeting wasn’t for half a varga, and all of them knew it. Which meant this meeting had distinctly not been planned, and Hunk didn’t like thinking about what would prompt an emergency call.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“COMING, COMING!” Called Lance, helping Allura and Keith up.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Hunk sighed, shaking his head slowly as Lance’s shoulders instantly became those protective mountains he knew so well, but a smile slid fondly over his lips. Maybe, just maybe, it was okay for Lance to be protective now; after all, he wasn’t the only one anymore. And, maybe, just maybe, Hunk couldn’t help but hope as Allura slung an arm over Lance’s shoulders, and Keith intertwined his fingers with Lance’s free hand, maybe this time, that heart he gave away would be properly cherished.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The tick that the paladins were all gathered in an abandoned meeting room, Adam thrust a piece of paper at Lance, the crumpled thing held so tightly in his fist that Hunk wasn’t sure how it was still in one piece.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“A Galran patrol was spotted on Earth one varga ago; we just received confirmation. A scout managed a picture of the ship, along with verification that they’ve taken over the old Galaxy Headquarters, but it’s strictly classified information. Here’s the picture.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Allura materialized in front of Adam, yanking the paper from his hand before his thumb punctured the fragile photo, and all the blood fled from her cheeks as if in retreat from whatever she had been handed. Keith’s nose wrinkled, and he poked his head around to gawk at the Commander sneering at his soldiers. He placed a hand on Allura’s shoulder, and Lance cocked his head, waiting with tapping feet for his boyfriend and sister to show him what was on the paper. Hunk had hidden the twins away at Leo’s house for a playdate, so he let his fingers dance over his arm like a piano, something that usually made Nadia a little antsy.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Finally, with eyes that could cut steel, Allura held up the paper so the rest of the team could see, her gaze flitting to Shiro’s already pale face, and Lance gave an offended shriek.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Dios mios! Can’t a guy get a message and die already?!” He complained.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Shiro swallowed harshly, his fingers going rigid against Adam’s, and his eyes blazing as if he could incinerate Sendak through sheer hatred alone.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Guess we’ll just have to deliver that message with a little more force this time, huh?”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Allura’s eyes flashed harshly, and Hunk couldn’t help but grin. It was okay. They were a family, and as long as they faced this together like they always had—</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
“But Coran and I are scheduled to depart tomorrow,” replied Allura, those wrinkles that always made Hunk’s heart clench spreading across her forehead, and she looked at Keith and Lance with a spiderweb of pain cracking in her eyes. “We would have put off going to Oriande for quite a while; I fear what a delay would do. But, to leave you guys to combat <i>Sendak</i> without backup…”
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Hunk swallowed, fingers tugging on one another, and his eyes shot to Lance. If there was someone he trusted to make a decision that would protect all of them…</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Well, I think it’s rude for him to just show up again unannounced!” Lance complained. “He couldn’t just wait a few more movements until everyone else attacked, nooooooooo! He just had to come down here early!”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
Hunk bit back a smile; there was a reason the first word that had come to his mind when he first met Lance had been <i>hero</i>.
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Lance locked eyes with his sister, and Hunk swore he could almost follow the conversation, the argument, the fear, the heartache, the desperation, the promises, and the pain that flitted between the siblings. Lance smiled. “And, well, if you show up early, you don’t get all the refreshments and food that you would if you came on time.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Keith reached out a hand, cupping Lance’s cheek, and two pairs of blue eyes snapped to meet his indigo irises. And, for just a second, Hunk swore all their hearts beat in unison.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“We’ll find them,” Keith swore, turning to Allura and offering her a hand. “And we’ll have them in chains by the time you come back home.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Allura bit her lip, even as Lance nodded firmly, and Adam pressed a soft kiss to Shiro’s cheek. Hunk smiled, fingers flexing as he remembered Shay’s smooth, soft hand…</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“We’ll be alright,” Adam promised quietly, reaching up to play with his partner’s little white tuft. “Hey, he’s just a little cockroach. The only way to kill it is to drown it in soapy water!”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Shiro snorted out a laugh, giving the butterflies in Adam’s chest all the wind they needed to fly free, and he felt the tension drain out of Shiro’s fingers slowly, bit by bit.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Why do you know that, Adam?”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Teaching at summer camps gives you an incredibly broad range of knowledge.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Shiro chuckled, and Allura slid her palm into Keith’s. She blew out a long, slow breath, and took Lance’s free hand as well. The three smiled at each other, and Hunk straightened up with a grin.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
He had to believe. Well, believing in Lance was easy; he had always believed in his best friend. But, more than that, he was taken aback by how easy it was to believe in the rest of his family. And, sure, these were the people who had glared down death with him, who had guarded his back as often as he had guarded theirs, who had taken his hand and pulled him into their arms, who had held him as he thrashed in fear, and who had waited until he was steady enough to walk beside him to lead him into his future, into <i>their future, together</i>, but, somehow, it was only then, as he stood there waiting for them to tell him the plan, that Hunk realized just how completely he was willing to place his life in their hands. Maybe because their hands were so big, most of them? Or, really, maybe it was because they were a family that had been found and forged through the best and worst of life.
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Keith raised his head, Lance squared his shoulders, Allura’s spine went rigid, and Hunk felt every part of him relax as the people he trusted more than anyone else in the universe turned to the room.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
 “<i>Let’s give them hell!</i>”
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
<p>FULL DISCLAIMER: I do not speak Spanish, I did my best online. Please correct me if I do anything wrong, I am more than happy to fix it!<br/>¡Oye, boludo! ¡Vamos, pelea con alguien de tu tamaño! = Hey, jerk! Come on, fight someone your size!<br/>¡Si puedes de pie, corre! = If you can stand, run!<br/>¿Ay, qué va a hacer la pequeño niña? = Aww, what's the little girl going to do?<br/>Dar tu moretón algún compañía. Corre! = Give your bruise some company. Run!<br/>¡Hola! Me llamo Leandro! = Hello! My name is Leandro (Lance)!<br/>¡Creo que nosotros vamos ser estupendo amigos! = I think we're going to be great friends!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chosen Stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lance shoved the coffee pot towards his muttering boyfriend, flipping the white hood over Keith’s hair and giggling at his sister even as his cerulean eyes remained fixed on the diagram flickering in front of him. Keith shoved him lightly before hopping onto the table to blink harshly at the rapidly translating text in front of him. Krolia joined in a few ticks later, tucking his hair out of his eyes and whispering corrections over his shoulder. Hunk snored from his perch in the chair Lance said he had claimed for as long as they lived here, and Shiro squirmed in his sleep on the McClain couch. Coran patted his shoulder, bags pulling down at his eyes as he finished his…extensive studies into the Olkari’s latest inventions and prototypes. With the knowledge that they were losing <i>yet another sister</i> and their <i>only space uncle</i> in the morning, none of them really had it in them to detach from each other’s sides at the end of the day. And, since Lance’s home was the nearest, well…</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pidge growled, barely wrestling back the urge to slam her fist into the nearest hard object. They had been <i>so close</i>! If she had just managed to keep their connection open for a little longer, she could have figured out where that stupid comet was! They had been out here for over a movement now, for the <i>express purpose of gathering intel about the comet</i>, and Pidge had about as much intel as she did extra inches! And, sure, they didn’t have a time limit per say, but Pidge knew they needed to make it back in time for Hunk to go to the Balmera and come back to Earth again before Zarkon arrived. Plus, she was already slowly losing her mind at not being with her family.</p>
<p>	Matt sighed, flopping against the wall and tilting his head back as his sister clenched and unclenched her fists. She had been restless (bordering on reckless in the last few days) since they had first touched down on Earth, and although space seemed to have soothed her nerves, the mission had distinctly <i>not</i>. Or, namely, the fact that they weren’t making headway on their main objective was driving her crazy. Not to mention, the recent discovery that Sendak had been tasked with going to Earth and sabotaging the Paladins was nearly enough to send her shooting back home with the intel they had. Sooooooo, yeah, his sister wasn’t doing particularly great at the moment.</p>
<p>	“Right, I’m going to check our cams,” he groaned. “Rover, scan the perimeter. Pidge, don’t break anything.”</p>
<p>	“No promises,” snarled Pidge.</p>
<p>Matt simply held up his hands in surrender and backed away from the enraged gremlin, Rover beeping on his way out as well.</p>
<p>The tick that both of them were out of the room, Pidge groaned and flopped on her back. She pulled the hood up and tucked her face into it, pressing her fingerless gloves to her cheek. She wished she could feel Lance’s arms around her stomach as he tucked her close to her, the faint chords of a song vibrating between them. She had always felt safe there, like she could climb into those notes, curling the soft words around herself like a blanket, and simply hide away from the world for a few days. Maybe there, safe in Lance’s words, she could just…take the chance of being herself.</p>
<p>And god, what she would give to share a fist bump with Keith again. It was like a silent acknowledgement, a symbol of the bond between two people who had been willing to go to space if that meant getting their families back. Oh man, a Hunk hug would be perfect right now though, just firm enough to still the tremors running through her body, but squishy and warm enough to soothe the tears pricking at her eyes. A hand on her shoulder from Allura, or one on her back from Shiro would be more than appreciated too. A patented Adam hair tousle right then would hardly be amiss either, and Pidge had to bury her face more firmly into the hood to stifle her whimper.</p>
<p>She just wanted her family back again.</p>
<p>But, to keep them with her for the rest of her life, she had to lose them for now. Two movements (max) without them was nothing compared to a lifetime wishing she had done a better job right <i>now</i>.</p>
<p>Pidge blew out a long, steadying breath, and pushed herself back up. She crushed the tears under her palm, cracked her shoulders, rolling her neck the way Lance insisted would make it easier for her to work for longer, and popped her knuckles.</p>
<p>“Alright,” she growled, smirk overtaking her lips and amber eyes absorbed by her computer. “Let’s find some intel for the guys on the ground!”</p>
<p>Matt smiled as he slid the door fully closed, winking at Rover as Pidge’s manic pounding on her keyboard began. They were the Holt siblings, after all. They would figure this out.</p>
<p>Matt sucked in a harsh breath, squared his shoulders, lifted his chin, and hopped into the nearest ventilation shaft. He had cameras to check.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“If you want to live, put the coffee down and back away slowly,” growled Keith as he shuffled into the kitchen vargas past midnight, clutching an empty cup and drowning in Lance’s hoodie. “It. Is. Mine.”</p>
<p>	Allura raised both hands and leapt away from the counter, nearly tripping over Adam where he perched on the ground, glaring at his computer screen, and stumbling into Acxa’s steadying arms. Her cheeks flushed at the smile that the general met her gaze with.</p>
<p>Lance shoved the coffee pot towards his muttering boyfriend, flipping the white hood over Keith’s hair and giggling at his sister even as his cerulean eyes remained fixed on the diagram flickering in front of him. Keith shoved him lightly before hopping onto the table to blink harshly at the rapidly translating text in front of him. Krolia joined in a few ticks later, tucking his hair out of his eyes and whispering corrections over his shoulder. Hunk snored from his perch in the chair Lance said he had claimed for as long as they lived here, and Shiro squirmed in his sleep on the McClain couch. Coran patted his shoulder, bags pulling down at his eyes as he finished his…extensive studies into the Olkari’s latest inventions and prototypes. With the knowledge that they were losing <i>yet another sister</i> and their <i>only space uncle</i> in the morning, none of them really had it in them to detach from each other’s sides at the end of the day. And, since Lance’s home was the nearest, well…</p>
<p>	“Okay! So, right now we have a rebel detachment coming that Matt’s going to be in charge of along with someone named N-7?” Asked Lance softly, spinning the map in front of him to face Allura and rolling his shoulder to loosen up the black Garrison uniform; he had gotten used to his paladin armor and this new fabric was strangely stiff despite how weak it was. “And they’ll be here in about five quintants? Even though we don’t know when Matt will be back?”</p>
<p>	“Correct,” replied Allura, leaning back against Acxa as she cracked her neck and squinted in the low lighting of her hou—of her brother’s household. “General Acxa?”</p>
<p>“Lotor is currently coordinating with Ezor and Zethrid to procure a larger fleet of Galra battleships, and Kuron had successfully made contact with the clones,” replied Acxa, flicking through searingly blue pages so fast it made Lance dizzy just watching. “They shall both have full reports for us on that situation tomorrow.”</p>
<p>	The silent message flickering between the siblings’ eyes, the simultaneous twitches of their hands towards each other, and the slight purse of their lips practically screamed into the room. <i>You’ll have to handle those alone.</i></p>
<p>	“I’ll have these boosters figured out by morning,” called Adam, clicking steadily at his computer and chugging coffee. “Coran, where did Pidge’s fuel calculations go?”</p>
<p>	“Into your inbox, Professor Wazir,” replied Coran without looking away from his article. “I shall be forwarding you her wind resistance checks in a few shakes of a telpan’s ear.”</p>
<p>	“I have word from Narti and Romelle; they’ll arrive on schedule in a couple of movements,” called Keith, flicking away the email and rubbing at his eyes; Krolia patted his shoulder gently. “Krolia, would you mind—”</p>
<p>	“I’ll have a briefing ready by tomorrow,” promised Krolia.</p>
<p>	“You mean later this quintant?” Teased Lance, eyes flickering over the clock on the wall as it clicked past two in the morning.</p>
<p>	“Correct.”</p>
<p>	“Allura, same for you?”</p>
<p>	“Indeed,” replied Allura, a smile twisting at her lips as if to combat a scowl. “Yet again. I am sorry; I hate to turn your home into your workplace as well.”</p>
<p>	Lance knocked his shoulder against hers, grinning as he flicked the map through her. Her nose wrinkled at the tickle of the blue particles, and Lance giggled at the flurry of bunny twitches that followed.</p>
<p>	“‘Lura, this is my choice! Plus, I did this all the time as a cadet, I’m used to it!” He retorted, eyes flickering over the photographs lining the wall. “I’d rather work here and get to tuck in my kids than miss any more time with them and finish my work elsewhere.”</p>
<p>	“Plus, Lance’s family has the most comfortable furniture,” added Adam, flashing a grin over his shoulder. “Do you know how many times I’ve crashed here helping mi hermano study?”</p>
<p>	“Too many!” Complained Hunk, rubbing at his eyes and yawning as his free hand began tightening the holographic gears on his diagram. “Lance dragged me along for most of them; I thought I was going to throw up when a Garrison guard came within two inches of our hiding place one time!”</p>
<p>	“That was nothing,” commented Adam with a snort, twisting to look at the two cadets he had known almost too well back at the Garrison. “Remember when Lance jammed you and Pidge into cabinets to hide from Iverson? I didn’t know terror could make someone that flexible!”</p>
<p>	“If terror could make people flexible, we’d all be gymnasts,” deadpanned Keith. “Especially given how many times Lance over here has decided to get himself dumped in a cryopod!”</p>
<p>	“Oh, you do <i>not</i> get to lecture me on being reckless!” Protested Lance, snatching a hat off the table and flinging it into the back of Keith’s head. “Not after that whole astral plane shindig!”</p>
<p>	“Yes, while you got yourself <i>blasted out of a corrupted quintessence lightning cannon</i>,” retorted Shiro, arching an eyebrow at the Black Paladin. “None of you can talk about being reckle—”</p>
<p>	“Papi?”</p>
<p>	Shiro’s mouth snapped shut, Allura winced, Keith slashed down the program he was reading, and Lance bolted upright. He hopped off the counter and spun to face his niece with a wide smile.</p>
<p>	“Hola, mi princesita,” he said softly, opening his arms for the eight-year-old girl to scamper into. “Estás despierto temprano. ¿Todo bien?”</p>
<p>	“Tuve una pesadilla,” whispered Nadia, nestling her face into her dad’s shoulder as he cradled her in his arms. “Volviste, pero eras un esqueleto, y luego había un gran nave y lo estar tiroteo fuego y Sylvio estaba llorando y yo no podía respirar y—”</p>
<p>	“Shhhhh, está bien,” promised Lance, cuddling Nadia close to his chest and standing to gently rock her. “Tu padre es demasiado fuerte para que alguien lo convierta en una bolsa de huesos, y yo derribaría cualquier nave antes de que pudiera hacer llorar a Sylvio. Está bien, mi princesita.”</p>
<p>	Nadia whimpered, curling closer to her dad, and Lance ran his fingers slowly over her braided hair, pressing a kiss to her forehead and rocking steadily from one foot to the other. Shiro and Krolia twisted like owls to gawk at Lance, and Coran toppled off the arm of the couch. Allura, Acxa, and Keith arched an eyebrow at one another, Hunk hovered nearby anxiously, and Lance ignored all of them. “¿Vamos arriba y vamos a volver a escribir ese sueño, bien? ¡Encenderé esa luz de la noche de la estrella fugaz y podemos tratar de romper nuestro registro para ataques del elfo de sorpresa!”</p>
<p>	Nadia snuggled into her dad’s shoulder, nodding and refusing to look at anyone else in the room. Lance dropped a kiss atop her head and shot a quick smile over his shoulder to his family before swaying out of the room, murmuring to Nadia the whole way.</p>
<p>	A soft click from upstairs floated down as he closed the door, and Coran leapt to his feet at the same time that Shiro and Krolia whipped around to stare at Keith and Allura with unhinged jaws.</p>
<p>	“Um, unless my device is incorrect in its translation, I believe papi means father in your language?” Managed Coran, eyes still popping out of his head. “From my understanding, she is approximately eight years old and Lance is only recently eighteen, which does not stack up with what I have been briefed about human anatomy.”</p>
<p>	“Lance is a father?!” Hissed Shiro, eyes cutting to Adam. “How did I not know about this?”</p>
<p>	“Huh?”</p>
<p>	Hunk’s eyes widened, Allura gaped, Adam stared, and Keith blinked rapidly at the rest of the room. The four all turned to each other, Hunk’s mouth flapping a bit like a confused fish. Keith shrugged, Adam shook himself back to reality, and Allura held up her hands innocently. Acxa just tilted her head, blinking as if unfazed by the idea of Lance raising two children only ten years younger than him.</p>
<p>“Well?” Asked Shiro.</p>
<p>“La—”</p>
<p>Hunk nearly pivoted off the chair as he spun to gawk at their former leader.</p>
<p>“You seriously didn’t know? Shiro, why do you think they started calling you ‘space abuelo?’ Dude, they’re why Lance wanted to sneak out that night he met you! He snuck out every night to see his kids! He would say ‘out on the town’ and ‘meet some girls’ as code words so the Garrison didn’t go attack mode on his mom. Uh, most of his family still at home are girls now, and Sylvio gets pouty at being singled out, so Lance just started calling them all girls.”</p>
<p>“Na—”</p>
<p>	“Ah, wait a tick!” Cried Coran. “I believe I remember a ‘Nadiea’ and a ‘Sylivio’ from his stories! However, I believe that was in reference to his niece and nephew? And, once more, according to my studies, they should be too old to be his offspring!”</p>
<p>	If someone interrupted Keith one more time, they were going to end up with a knife at their throat.</p>
<p>	“Adoption?” Asked Krolia, one finger on his chin as her glazed eyes flickered over the fridge littered with pictures of Lance playing with Nadia and Sylvio. “I believe I heard of that from Keith’s father. However, I believe he would also be too young, so perhaps his mother took them in and didn’t have time to raise them…?”</p>
<p>	“No!” Snapped Keith. “They’re his niece and nephew! But Lance chose to raise them, so they’re practically his kids!”</p>
<p>	…He was only <i>playing</i> with his knife, so that counted as kind of a win?</p>
<p>	“Quite close though, Admiral Krolia,” replied Allura with a soft laugh as she gave Keith’s mother an acknowledging nod. “As Keith said, Nadia and Sylvio <i>are</i> Lance’s niece and nephew. However, his older sister Veronica was not in a position to raise them, so she asked Lance to. As such, he single-handedly brought them up for seven decaphoebs. He is their papi.”</p>
<p>	“I am glad he is back with them then,” replied Acxa, a glint rippling off her eyes. “He clearly loves them deeply.”</p>
<p>	“That does <i>not</i> explain why we didn’t know about it!” Protested Shiro, rubbing at his forehead and staring at the ceiling with eyes wider than moons. “That—that’s a huge part of someone’s life to just <i>not</i> know about! We’re a team, a family. I thought we were past surprises like this.”</p>
<p>	Krolia glanced down and Shiro winced at his own words, Coran’s face falling as silence slowly filled the room. Acxa bit her lip, tugging on her finger like she always did when she was nervous, Allura and Keith glanced at one another, their eyes flitting to Hunk after a tick, and he began fidgeting with his fingers again while Adam stared determinedly at the table. The silence grew oppressive.</p>
<p>	Why hadn’t Lance told everyone?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lance grinned as he bounced back into the room, running a hand through his already rumpled hair and snatching a cookie from the jar.</p>
<p>	“Sorry about that; Nadia had a nightmare,” he commented, swinging himself back up onto the counter and reclaiming his map. “She’s asleep now; everything’s fine, don’t worry. What’d I miss?”</p>
<p>	He started munching on the cookie, setting the holographic battle sequence to play out before him and tilting back to glance at his teammates. Allura was in one corner with Keith having another heated debate, flying hands and muted yelling sending Hunk inching away while Adam looked on in thinly veiled amusement and Acxa helped Krolia with a programming error (those two got on surprisingly well). Welp, no way they were noticing his arrival anytime soon; when those two got into one of their arguments, the entire universe could be burned down (heck, <i>they</i> probably could be set on fire) and neither of them would so much as stutter! Lance quickly glanced away before he could get embroiled in it, flashing Coran a smile as the man turned towards him. The poor Altean looked like he needed another 10,000 decaphoeb nap, geez! Lance would have to try and get him to bed soo—</p>
<p>Lance froze. Shiro was looking at him, large grey eyes unblinking in the low light of the kitchen, and he bit back a shudder at the similarity between that look and the one Kuron had given him so many phoebs ago—</p>
<p>“Lance?” Shiro’s voice jarred Lance nearly off the counter; he shrieked and flailed, toppling over backwards and sprawling over the countertop with a cookie clutched desperately to his chest and a shattered holographic map around his leg.</p>
<p>Keith spun, knife whipping out from his sheath and shooting from his hand. Allura snatched it out of the air before it could go anywhere, glaring at both of her Black Paladins and shushing Lance. He couldn’t help it. Shiro’s voice was so…so <i>gentle</i>. It made him feel safer than he had become used to.</p>
<p>“Sorry, Shiro!” Yelped Lance, trying to swallow the words enough that he wouldn’t wake up his niece again, but making no move to rise from his current position. “What’s up?”</p>
<p>Shiro shifted, propping himself up on his elbows, and Keith growled, making grabby hands at his knife. Allura stuck out her tongue and hid it behind her back in response, prompting an affronted squawk and another hissing battle as Hunk slid further away and Acxa’s eyes softened with pure adoration. Lance cackled, making similar grabby hands at the knife.</p>
<p>Allura chucked it at his head immediately. Lance got the vague, oh so very misty feeling she still wasn’t too pleased about being forced to stay away from Earth during the impending strike on Sendak. If it weren’t for Acxa’s gentle coaxing, her choice to sit with Allura for vargas and work through all their whispered words, Lance wasn’t sure if he would have been able to get her off the planet.</p>
<p>That being said, he nearly toppled the remaining few inches off the table, snagging the blade by the edge of the hilt with a little triumphant crow. Spinning it between his fingers, Lance raised an eyebrow at the Blue Paladin, ignoring his boyfriend’s attempt to lunge at the pointy death knife. Shiro smirked at the two, though his expression sobered when locked eyes with Lance again, and something dropped in the pit of Lance’s stomach. He wished he’d had more time to talk to Kuron; these things shouldn’t make it so hard to breathe.</p>
<p>“Why did you never tell me that you raised Nadia and Sylvio?” Replied Shiro, his voice sounding like it was trapped in a vice grip. “You didn’t tell Coran either, and none of us know whether you told Pidge or Matt. Why?”</p>
<p>Shiro compressed his lips as his muscles locked, waiting for a reply. He had never been particularly close with Lance, he knew that. It was something he hated, but he could never see a way to connect with the cocky young man before he left, and especially not after he returned. Lance practically flinched back from his every movement for the first phoeb, and held himself like an iron soldier for even longer afterwards. Allura had tried to explain to him the extent of the damage that Kuron had done, the shots at Lance’s self-esteem that had torn too deeply, the way Lance had to dig his heels in and turn his skin into titanium to fight back against the clone’s orders, the helpless terror that had consumed his face when Kuron threatened to take away his place on the team, but she didn’t need to. Shiro had seen it in that heartbreaking flash of fear in Lance’s eyes every time he glanced at him, though the younger man was quick to cover it up with a flashing smile.</p>
<p>It had lessened when Lance was selected as a Black Paladin, hopefully assuaging some of the fears Shiro could hardly comprehend the paladin having about his role in the team. It had eased considerably when the two teamed up with Adam to help Keith deal with Krolia, but Shiro couldn’t do much to bond with him then because Lance spent every free tick running around performing diplomatic duties or hauling his siblings to bed. After Kuron’s return, though, all the lingering horror surged forwards again, and Shiro had been keeping his eyes peeled for an opportunity to talk to Lance directly about what had happened in his…rather extended absence.</p>
<p>He knew they weren’t close, but he never imagined Lance still didn’t trust him after so much time in space together. And the fact that Lance hadn’t told Coran and potentially Pidge or Matt, three people he demonstrated a deep trust and love for, threw Shiro for a loop. Was Lance somehow ashamed about raising Nadia and Sylvio? Did he feel like everyone would view him differently because of it? It was such a large part of his life, but it was incredibly admirable of him to take on such a taxing role at such a young age, Lance couldn’t possibly think they would look down on hi—</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>Lance cocked his head, blinking like a chicken that had just walked into a wall. Then his eyes blew wide open and he gave a barely-muffled shriek. “<i>I didn’t tell you guys?!</i>”</p>
<p>“Uh, um, no?”</p>
<p>“Quiznak! I thought I had!” Cried Lance, twisting until he was on his stomach and rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile. “My bad! I’m so used to having told the people who were supposed to know that I kind of forgot that you guys didn’t! Oh great, Pidge is going to kill me when I tell her!”</p>
<p>“What?!” Shrieked Hunk, gawking at his best friend. “You really didn’t tell <i>Pidge?!</i>”</p>
<p>	Lance groaned, dropping his head into his hands.</p>
<p>	“Nooo, and she’s going to kill me! I was <i>supposed</i> to bring her home that night we ended up getting shot into space, so I was going to tell her then! You know, she tends to like more tangible explanations and evidence and hard facts, and that kind of stuff, so I figured she’d rather be shown it than have it explained to her. Great, I’m definitely going to get my head chewed off by a temperamental gremlin and her bigger gremlin brother now!”</p>
<p>Lance sighed then, sliding off the table. He stood, turning and facing his family head-on, eyes glowing a sapphire-blue that reflected off the Altean marks on his cheeks. “But, I never intended for you guys not to know. Things got hectic and I forgot to tell you, and then I just assumed I had at some point. It’s such a big part of me that I kind of don’t remember who I’ve told and who I haven’t. It’s kind of like my sexuality,” he added, lips twisting painfully, and Shiro remembered with a wince that Lance still hadn’t gotten the chance to come out to his family despite his best attempts. “You know how you have to come out a thousand times, so you just end up forgetting who does and doesn’t know? It was like that, I guess.”</p>
<p>“Ah! Shiro forgot to tell his aunt that he was engaged to me for over a decaphoeb because of that!” Commented Adam, smirking as he stood and placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “I still don’t remember how many of my friends have picked up on my bisexuality by now. You all know, right?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t!” Squawked Hunk, and Keith cackled. “I just thought you were gay!”</p>
<p>	Lance turned to Adam, smile spreading as he gripped his brother’s hand in silent gratitude.</p>
<p>	“See? When things are just part of who you are, you kind of forget,” concluded Lance, breathing out a short puff of relief. “You guys are my family; I trust you. That doesn’t mean I’m not a space case!” He quipped, smirking as Coran tilted his head in confusion at the Black Paladin.</p>
<p>	“A…space case? Does that refer to some unsolved mystery that comes from space? In that case, I do believe Princess Allura and I have a better argument to make for being the ‘space cases’ of this, but I do not believe there are many mysteries surrounding us! We are simply cryogenically frozen aliens that come from a planet 10,000 decaphoebs ago that was far more technologically and alchemically advanced than your planet; it’s quite normal, really.”</p>
<p>	Lance just stared at him for a long, long dobash. Allura snickered, and Keith flopped onto a nearby chair to pin Coran with his deadpan <i>you-have-got-to-be-joking</i> stare. Lance was pretty sure he wasn’t, though.</p>
<p>“Uh, sure, not going to complain about getting to call you two ‘space cases,’” teased Lance, hopping back onto the counter and stretching his arms over his head; he craned his neck over backwards and grinned at Shiro. “We good, man?”</p>
<p>	Shiro compressed his lips, pulling back a scowl, and nodded. The reason seemed genuine, and Shiro knew he had surprised the quiznak out of Matt when he mentioned off-handedly that he was gay during the Kerberos Mission even though they had been friends for decaphoebs and it hadn’t <i>meant</i> to be a secret. That wasn’t what bothered him.</p>
<p>	“Yeah, we’re good,” he replied, settling back into Adam’s lap and closing his eyes while his fiance’s fingers ran through his hair.</p>
<p>	As if closing his eyes to the world around him would make him believe his own words.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“Alright, unless you guys want to be woken up by Ronny tripping over you,” warned Lance, slinging Coran onto his back and grinning at Keith as he started awake, “you’re all going to want to head upstairs or claim some furniture. Krolia, you can take the guest room; Keith, go ahead and use mine. Allura, could you put Hunk in Luis’ room?”</p>
<p>	Allura nodded, cradling Hunk in her arms and already starting up the stairs with a soft <i>good night</i> to her family. She usually used Rachel’s room, as Lance’s sister was still fighting to get a cheap enough plane ticket to see her brother again, and it just felt like second instinct at this point for her to link her fingers with Acxa and tug her along to the sunny room. Coran had stolen the comfiest chair to snore from, and Adam had already fallen asleep on the couch, though Shiro continued to stare up at the ceiling. Krolia was gently helping Keith down from the table he had nearly nodded off of, and Lance had to bite back a grin at the lopsided smile his boyfriend offered Krolia, as if sleep had already claimed half of his face.</p>
<p>	“Shiro, if you need to escape Adam’s snores, there’s a great view of the stars in the backyard,” commented Lance, twisting to glance at the older man. “I rarely go to sleep without taking at least one long look. Plus, the cicadas drown out almost everything else, even the avalanche mi hermano likes to pretend is snoring.”</p>
<p>	Shiro giggled, petting Adam’s hair and casting a pained smile at Lance. Lance, who had walked away from those cicadas to get a closer look at those stars he once admired, who had made the brutal decision every morning to fight for that universe which kept him galaxies away from the squiggly yellow stars speckled across the drawings Nadia and Sylvio made for their papi. Lance, who stood in the doorway to help his nearly-drooling boyfriend on his back, bags biting at his eyes, one family asleep and scattered throughout the house, the other clustered in this small kitchen, a sister and brother up in space, and a smile tugging at his lips as he looked at the one man who couldn’t to protect him. The man who had never protected any of them.</p>
<p>	“I think I’ll take you up on that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	The doors clicked shut behind Shiro, a soft sound that clashed harshly with the slam of a Galran prison cell. Shiro smiled, fingers splaying against the balcony as he leaned off of it.</p>
<p>“Hey, Lance,” he greeted without turning around. “Keith sleeping okay?”</p>
<p>Lance’s stride faltered behind him, an aborted half-step breaking his pace, and Shiro kept his eyes raised. He had finally found his favorite constellation.</p>
<p>“Kind of. He seemed to be having a nightmare, so I calmed him down. I don’t think any of us are sleeping that well,” admitted Lance, his words measured and even, as if to methodically build a wall between him and the man across from him. “So, do you want to talk about this?”</p>
<p>	Shiro hummed.</p>
<p>	“About what?”</p>
<p>	“Us,” replied Lance. “About this weird limbo we keep getting stuck in. I mean, maybe it’s just me, but whenever we finally seem to get comfortable with each other, one of us always pulls back. It was definitely me at the beginning, and I’m sorry about that. I just don’t understand why it’s still happening. And…and I don’t think this is something I can fix by myself anymore,” murmured Lance, fingers tightening by his side. “Please, Shiro. You’ve got to help me out here.”</p>
<p>	“Can I?”</p>
<p>	The snap slipped from Shiro’s lips before he had time to process it, and Lance’s sharp intake of breath seemed to split the night. The cicadas went dead silent, the moon’s light taking on a glaring edge, and the wind falling to stillness around the two. Or maybe Shiro’s heart was the only one that actually stopped.</p>
<p>“Wha—”</p>
<p>“Sorry,” interceded Shiro, turning to face Lance and not even trying to cover the wince consuming his expression. “Sorry about that; I’m not upset with you, I promise. Just a little mad at myself.”</p>
<p>Lance blinked, his shoulders rolling loose and his jaw softening, and Shiro swore he heard the wind come back to life around them. Maybe that was just the familiar pulsing of his own heart through his skin, though.</p>
<p>“How come?”</p>
<p>And then Lance was swinging beside him, hands planted on the balcony and eyes drinking in the constellations shining over his house. He leaned his weight forwards, back exposed to Shiro, but still leaving his eyes far away from Shiro’s face. And, for once, Shiro couldn’t bring himself to mind that. The anonymity of the darkness, the faint echo of Adam’s snores, and the warmth of the night as June neared seemed to cocoon him away from the endless void of space so high above him. A void for all except the children his mistakes had dragged up there.</p>
<p>“Lance, do you wish you’d never left Earth?” Asked Shiro.</p>
<p>Shiro had seen how much happier Keith was now, how much more comfortable he was in his own skin, in his sexuality, in his history, in his future. He knew Keith would just stare at him and ask what there was to regret; the only ones Keith loved other than Mrs. Shirogane were already in space. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain; space was a third chance he couldn’t pass up. If anything, he would probably thank Shiro for shooting them all up into space.</p>
<p>Shiro didn’t know if he could say the same for the others.</p>
<p>Pidge would have made it up there at some point anyway, knowing the girl, and she had gotten her family back as a result. She had saved her father and brother, had come into her own as a technician, a fighter, a sister, and a human. She had left her mother behind, a regret Shiro doubted would go away easily, but she had saved everyone else she loved as a result. Sure, Pidge probably wouldn’t hate him for putting them all in that position.</p>
<p>But what about Hunk and Lance? What about the two who had so much to lose and so little to gain by going up there? Hunk had found so much courage and strength, so much power in himself that he never could have imagined was there. He had become an amazing mechanic, a brilliant chef, and a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. But he hadn’t even been able to say goodbye to his family, had spent so much time in desperate fear for them, had come to training so many mornings with bags under his eyes and a red nose. Shiro had spent vargas flying with him, running drills with their Lions, both trying to step into their proper roles on the team. But, even with all that, Shiro didn’t know if, given the opportunity, Hunk would have chosen to go into space back then if he knew what that choice would entail.</p>
<p>At least that wasn’t a question Shiro held with Lance anymore.</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>Because there was no way the teenager that swooped his daughter off the floor and sang her back to sleep, the one who plastered pictures of his son all over the fridge, the one who had held them tighter to him than anything else would ever have chosen to leave them for over a year. Shiro already knew that.</p>
<p>“You lied back there. About why you didn’t tell the team that Nadia and Sylvio were your kids,” replied Shiro, twisting his head to the side a bit and cocking an eyebrow as Lance’s lips compressed. “Maybe part of it was that you were so used to keeping it a secret from the administration and other kids, that it was such a natural part of you that you thought you’d already told us. Scratch that, I’m pretty sure it is,” added Shiro, smile twitching as Lance stared at him blankly. “But that’s not why you forgot, is it?”</p>
<p>Lance’s eyes snapped wide, his fingers clenching on the balcony, and teeth grinding together. Shiro just nodded and turned his eyes back to the sky, the unspoken words hanging between them like shattered glass, poised to strike anyone who went too near them.</p>
<p>
  <i>It was too painful to remember the ones I left behind.</i>
</p>
<p>Shiro got that. Thinking about his mother whenever they were up there had only prompted breakdowns and crying fits that left him anxious for a punching bag. Not exactly the best for morale.</p>
<p>And morale, in a way, was a burden Lance had borne just as much as Shiro even before becoming a Black Paladin. From the very beginning, Lance had kept the team running on jokes and laughter, had helped them cling to a shred of normalcy, of humanity, of hope for their own futures in this intergalactic space war. Shiro had given them discipline and teamwork, Lance had given them motivation and joy. They were the two who couldn’t be shaken, who couldn’t show how much of a toll this war was taking on them. And Shiro had failed to notice that until it was too late.</p>
<p>“Yeahhhh, it kind of hurt too much to remember, so it was pretty easy to forget to mention it.”</p>
<p>Shiro blinked as Lance plunged his hand right into the glass shards and grasped the words he couldn’t even imagine saying himself. “And that’s the reason you’re mad, right? Because you managed to trace the whole<i> Lance-wasn’t-with-his-kids</i> thing back to us leaving and the fact that we ran from the Garrison to help you get out, which is how we discovered the Lions and blasted into space where, by the way, <i>we all agreed to keep going multiple times despite the dangers, both when we did and didn’t know what was at stake!</i>”</p>
<p>Lance snorted, turning to face Shiro and grin at his hero figure. “Believe me man, blame? That thing’s a rabbit hole!”</p>
<p>Shiro stared at his friend, the image of a cocky, headstrong, insecure, flirtatious boy springing to his thoughts, yet not to his eyes. Lance just kept talking, hands rolling in time with his words, so much more limber from phoebs of gun training. “Look, if we wanted to, we could blame anyone and everyone aboard the Castleship for getting us up here—there—to space—oh, whatever!” Huffed Lance as Shiro bit his lips to hide a giggle. “You know what I mean! I am the master of blaming myself, I’ve already thought of all of it! We could blame Keith for breaking into the facility and driving us away, we could blame Hunk for building a device to find the Lions and leading us there, we could blame Pidge for being on the roof that night and finding the signal telling us about Voltron, we could blame me for bonding with Blue and shooting us into space, we could blame Allura for recruiting us for the mission and honestly just existing, and we could probably even blame Coran for something if we wanted to!”</p>
<p>Lance’s laugh tilted off his lips, and he tipped his head back to gaze up at the stars he had spent so long dying to see again. “What matters is that we don’t. We don’t blame them for any of it, so we have no reason to blame ourselves.”</p>
<p>Shiro squinted at the paladin in front of him.</p>
<p>“What if the others do?”</p>
<p>“Heh. Trust me, they don’t. We’re all too eager to blame ourselves so we don’t have to blame the ones we love. And I don’t think I have to convince you that we all love each other.”</p>
<p>Somehow, that teenager so desperate to be acknowledged had grown into a fine paladin. One overflowing with genuine confidence, with wisdom, with strength, and with love not only for his family, but also for defending this universe they lived in.</p>
<p>“No,” promised Shiro, smiling to himself, “you don’t.”</p>
<p>“Well, thank god for that!” Replied Lance, stretching his arms high above his head before bopping Shiro on the arm. “You ‘gane brothers are usually really really reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy—”</p>
<p>“Okay, okay—”<br/>“REALLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY—”</p>
<p>“<i>Lance!</i>”</p>
<p>Lance cackled as Shiro bopped him on the arm in return, hands raised in surrender and eyes flashing with mirth.</p>
<p>“<i>Really</i> bad at knowing your worth and how loved you are,” he concluded, laughing as he fended off Shiro’s attempts to mess up his hair. “And all of us are happy to remind you every time.”</p>
<p>Shiro laughed, sneaking his arm around Lance’s neck and yanking him into a headlock to thoroughly destroy the paladin’s perfectly styled hair amidst a series of squawks.</p>
<p>“Alright, alright, I got it!” He promised, his eyes glowing as the same stars overhead that he had dreamed about so long swam in the tears of laughter dancing in Lance’s eyes. “Thank you, Lance.”</p>
<p>“Anytime and everytime, nOW GET OFF!”</p>
<p>“Nah.”</p>
<p>“Shiroooooooo!” Whined Lance, and suddenly the pouty lip he stuck out at their former leader snatched the boy Shiro had first met so long ago, and pulled him back into the eyes of this strong paladin he had come to know.</p>
<p>Because neither had lost that light of the pure love for life that made Lance extend a helping hand no matter who was reaching out, whether it be his daughter, his old captain, a random alien, his boyfriend, his sister, an enemy, or anyone else in need. It was what had made Lance into a paladin.</p>
<p>And Shiro would do all he could to protect that light now, just as he had always done.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Take care, Allura,” said Shiro, wrapping the Red Paladin into a tight hug. “Take Acxa on a date for my sanity’s sake.”</p>
<p>Allura groaned, and Shiro laughed; from Lance’s intense eyebrow wiggling to Adam’s stifled guffaws to Keith’s quiet attempt at encouragement (punching people in the arm only works sometimes, <i>Keith</i>), Shiro got the feeling Allura might confess at this point just to get the others off her back.</p>
<p>About time.</p>
<p>“Yeah, bring back your giiiiiiiirlfriend,” insisted Lance with that lilting edge to his voice that nearly got him decapitated by Allura’s glare alone.</p>
<p>Keith patted her shoulder even though his own lips were practically trembling as the giggles pounded away relentlessly at the barricade.</p>
<p>“Good luck confessing.”</p>
<p>“Keith, I swear on Altea’s throne—!” Warned Allura, sending the small group into another round of laughter.</p>
<p>Even as Shiro stepped back, he stole a look at Lance, who was practically fusing with Allura in a tight hug. When he had poked his head into the hangar, the two had been whispering together, their gestures jerky and halting in a way he wasn’t used to seeing, but their laughter soft and ringing like the first sleigh bells of winter.</p>
<p>Even after all this time, they somehow hadn’t lost themselves to the war.</p>
<p>“Don’t look so worried,” said Keith, his feet sliding beside Shiro’s and his eyes coming to rest softly on his boyfriend. “Allura will do just fine, and so will the rest of us.”</p>
<p>He smirked, bumping his shoulder into his brother’s. “Together.”</p>
<p>Shiro chuckled, embracing Allura as she turned to her family to say her goodbyes. Together. For one last part.</p>
<p>Together, with Keith wrapping an arm around Lance’s shoulders and Lance dropping a kiss on his boyfriend’s cheek. Together, with Hunk nearly tackling Allura off her feet with a hug when she mentioned how long she might be gone. Together, with Krolia double-checking the coordinates with Coran, even though she had to prepare for a scouting mission. Together, with Allura face-planting over her words when Acxa walked into the room in traditional Galran royal armor, and with the General blushing a mercury silver at the princess’ stuttering compliments. Together, with Adam interlocking their fingers and smiling, that knowing tilt to his lips, and that unbreakable love glowing like twin suns in his eyes.</p>
<p>“Uh, you guys, I have an announcement to make,” declared Shiro, digging his heels into the ground as his family blinked at him. “Um, there’s not really an easy way to say this, but…well, after the war, I’m going to step back.”</p>
<p>The room dropped to a silence more dead than Shiro hoped Sendak would become, and Shiro was pretty sure the only thing keeping him from bolting right then and there was Adam’s hand in his. “I know you guys will still have a lot of paladin duties to attend to, like keeping the peace, rebuilding planets, and handling diplomatic things, but I just…I can’t. I have to step down when this is over. I’ve got to know that I can…that I can leave the battlefield behind.”</p>
<p>He had to protect that light in Adam’s eyes, and in his own. “Um, it might not be for long, and it definitely won’t be forever. But, even for just a few years, I’d like t-to-to just come home to Adam every night in our apartment and relax. I want to look up at the same stars with my husband and know that my crazy space kids are having fun among them and, one day, I’m going to join them again. I want to have that choice.”</p>
<p>Shiro swallowed, the last shreds of glass from his conversation with Lance last night vanishing along with the air rapidly dissipating from his lungs. He locked his shoulders and steeled his jaw, raising his head to meet their eyes. If he was going to let them down, the least he could do as their former Black Paladin was face that reality head-on.</p>
<p>“HECK YES!” Cheered Lance, pumping his fist in the air while Hunk let out a resounding whoop. “LET SHIRO RESSSSSSSSSSSST!”</p>
<p>“About time!” Huffed Krolia as if she weren’t beaming ear-to-ear. “And you guys call me a workaholic!”</p>
<p>“It is a break well deserved,” agreed Allura, pulling Shiro in for a longer, slightly firmer hug. “I am glad to see you <i>finally</i> taking care of yourself.”</p>
<p>“Indeed!” Insisted Coran, clapping Shiro on the shoulder and straightening his moustache with a slight snap in a way that Shiro was pretty sure signified pride. “This was a very long time coming, Number One, and I am exceptionally pleased to see you prioritizing your own needs!”</p>
<p>Lance grinned, and Hunk pointed a warning finger at Shiro like he wasn’t still containing full suns in his smile.</p>
<p>“Shiro, if you don’t take a good five decaphoebs off once this is all over, I <i>will</i> lock you in your house until you learn to relax!”</p>
<p>“I’ll help,” muttered Adam.</p>
<p>“I have a few knives that might come in handy,” chimed in Keith with a wink at Shiro; he wasn’t sure if he liked how Lance was influencing his little brother. “And the occasional sword.”</p>
<p>“Oooo, we’ve got him now!”</p>
<p>Hunk’s finger dropped away then, and he picked up Shiro to spin him around, blubbering while Shiro squeaked out protests and the others laughed until their cheeks ached. Shiro didn’t even hold out a full dobash before joining in. After all, no matter what happened in this war, Shiro would always be their Space Dad, and they could always come home to him just like he could always come home to them. And nothing in the whole universe could change that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
<p>Estás despierto temprano. ¿Todo bien? = You're up early. Is everything okay?<br/>Tuve una pesadilla = I had a nightmare<br/>Volviste, pero eras un esqueleto, y luego había un gran nave y lo estar tiroteo fuego y Sylvio estaba llorando y yo no podía respirar y— = You came back, but you were a skeleton, and then there was this big ship and it was shooting fire and Sylvio was crying and I couldn't breathe and—<br/>Tu padre es demasiado fuerte para que alguien lo convierta en una bolsa de huesos, y yo derribaría cualquier nave antes de que pudiera hacer llorar a Sylvio. Está bien, mi princesita = Your dad's too strong for anyone to make him into a bag of bones, and I'd take down any ship before it could make Sylvio cry. It's okay, my little princess.<br/>¿Vamos arriba y vamos a volver a escribir ese sueño, bien? ¡Encenderé esa luz de la noche de la estrella fugaz y podemos tratar de romper nuestro registro para ataques del elfo de sorpresa! = We're going upstairs and we're going to rewrite that dream, okay? I'll turn on that shooting star night light and we can try to break our record for surprise elf attacks!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. “I Will Never Yield an Inch to the Likes of You!” — Pidge Holt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Alright!” Cheered Pidge quietly. “Their systems should be down for a good half varga, including hand sensors! Come on, let’s see how much of the ship we can blaze through!”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pidge whooped, fists pumping into the air as the laptop flashed green at her, the rest of the computers going black. She twisted, yanking her computer into her bag, and Matt threw down his hand from above. He pulled her back up into the vents, and Rover beeped a sleepy <i>hello human </i>at her.</p>
<p>	“Alright!” Cheered Pidge quietly. “Their systems should be down for a good half varga, including hand sensors! Come on, let’s see how much of the ship we can blaze through!”</p>
<p>	Matt’s wicked grin answered her question, their high-five like a shot of electricity through the shaft, and another gear slid back into place in Pidge’s stomach. She whipped out her remaining flash drives, trapping each between her fingers like additional claws, and tipped her glasses to catch the light like in those animes Keith loved.</p>
<p>	“We’re going to destroy them!” She declared, manic cackles running through her words, and Matt smirked triumphantly.</p>
<p>	Ever since Pidge had emptied an entire bottle of hand sanitizer into Haggar’s shampoo, she had been in a remarkably good mood, and Matt’s latest “upgrade” to the Galran systems had finally given them full control over the ship. And, as tempted as Matt was to just blow all the ships around them out of the sky, the survival rate of that was a solid zero percent. Plus, Pidge was having a lot more fun with this.</p>
<p>	“Alright, oh mighty paladin,” teased Matt, bowing and waving a hand down the vent, “do lead the way for this humble peasant.”</p>
<p>	Pidge snickered, shoving his shoulder and leaping down the air duct in a smooth slide that drew a smile on her brother’s lips. Pidge had already moved nearly silently due to her multiple infiltrations of Galran ships, but this was a whole other level. She could pass for a shadow these days. Matt threw himself down the duct after her, Rover’s faint hum following them, and one hand already on his weapon. This was their largest operation, and very possibly their last one. One last-ditch effort to find that comet.</p>
<p>	Pidge leapt out of the duct, rolling out to carry her momentum right into her headlong dash down the corridors, a familiar smirk settling over her lips. Her bayard practically pulsed in her palm, blood searing through her veins, and breaths sprinting throughout her body. It was just like old times again, finally. No more sneaking around, no more dodging into air ducts, no more hiding. This time, she would tear her way through whatever stood in front of her until that weapon was in front of her, until she could disable it or gather data, until she could go home with her head held high.</p>
<p>	Finally, finally, it was time to <i>fight</i>.</p>
<p>	A sentry pointed to the right as she dashed past, and Pidge threw back her head with a shrieking laugh. Matt’s latest modification to the code? Well, after that one mishap with a sentry that Rover definitely hadn’t electrocuted, someone had decided to make a new code for the robots and well……nothing technological was safe from the Holt siblings. It only took a few hacks to insert a line of code that would react to the ship’s system going offline by helping the short, strange-looking mechanics towards the greatest power signature on the ship: the comet. Cloaked by Haggar’s magic or not, the sentries knew where the witch went constantly due to their rounds, and were more than happy to tell the bespectacled mechanic where their leader frequented if she thought it would help. And Pidge most certainly did.</p>
<p>	Matt cackled triumphantly, sprinting alongside his little sister and sharing another high-five as Rover began to collect data from the droids around them.</p>
<p>	“Meet us at Green in twenty dobashes!” Called Pidge, saluting the little robot even as her heart lurched.</p>
<p>	She didn’t want to lose Rover II like she had lost her first one. But, if they didn’t get this data, the chances they would be able to go back into hiding were…small, to say the least. They had one shot at this, so they really needed to make it count.</p>
<p>	Matt’s gaze strayed over to Pidge, the searing light flaring into her amber eyes that he had become so familiar with, and his nails bit into his palm. He had never seen that look on her face when they were back on Earth.</p>
<p>	“Hey, Pidge?” He began as another sentry gestured down a strangely zig-zagging corridor.</p>
<p>Pidge tore down the hallway, spinning to grin at her brother and quirking an eyebrow just like Lance used to.</p>
<p>“Yeah, peasant?” She teased, hood blowing off her hair and light catching in her eyes and filling them with a divine shimmer. “What’s up? You want to harvest the comet’s data this time?”</p>
<p>Matt’s words lodged in his throat, choking all the air out of his lungs, and burning at his eyes.</p>
<p>
  <i>You look so happy here.</i>
</p>
<p>The way she moved, the way she spoke, the way she wore those glasses and hoodie and gloves like she was born to become a paladin.</p>
<p>
  <i>You look so free up here.</i>
</p>
<p>The way she had clenched her fists under the table when their mom barely blinked at Pidge’s accomplishments, talking more about the latest code experiments in her company, the way her shoulders fell when her mother criticized her judgement and insisted that she needed to be more cautious.</p>
<p>
  <i>You look like yourself when you’re in space.</i>
</p>
<p>The way she had drawn herself up and argued that being cautious wasn’t who she was, the way their mom had insisted it had always been who Katie was, that this was the smartest way for her to live.</p>
<p>
  <i>	You look like you’re meant to be here.</i>
</p>
<p>	The way Pidge had jumped at the opportunity to leave again, the only hesitation latching onto her when her eyes flickered over to her space family.</p>
<p>
  <i>	You look like you could fly away at a moment’s notice.</i>
</p>
<p>At least Matt was part of that family.</p>
<p>
  <i>…Is it selfish to ask you to come back with me?</i>
</p>
<p>……But their parents were not.</p>
<p>
  <i>Can I even call Earth your home anymore?</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Can we still be your family?</i>
</p>
<p>“Are you okay? Will…will you be okay back on Earth?”</p>
<p>The words spilled out of Matt’s lips, headbutting their way to the front of the line, and flinging themselves into the air just like how Pidge flung herself down the corridor: with an impulsive desire to help, to protect, to love that was always there if you looked closely enough. And Pidge never left a stone unturned when it came to her family.</p>
<p>Her fingers went taut, words clogging up her throat, and her heels dug into the ground. She bit her lip, her mother’s words echoing in her head during the dinner discussions, reprimands of “<i>you shouldn’t talk like that, you’re going too fast</i>” or “<i>Katie, please lower your voice, the neighbors don’t need to hear about your code</i>” and “<i>I don’t think you’re going to be able to finish that before you have to leave again</i>” still scraping at her ear. Pidge rubbed a thumb over her bayard. She wasn’t the daughter her mother remembered. Katie had been quiet, polite, had learned from school that people didn’t want to hear about her ideas, from dinner conversations that the words of her family held more weight than her own, that it was her job to make sure that everyone had a voice even if it meant sacrificing her own. But the tick Pidge had been launched into space, she dropped all of that. Now, she raised her chin high and talked too loudly, too quickly, she didn’t explain that one step sufficiently for them because her family had always trusted her whether they understood or not.</p>
<p>Because Pidge had changed. She learned about sunsets from Lance, about hoverbike races from Keith, about cooking from Hunk, dancing from Allura, alien quests from Coran, stupid music from Adam, and teamwork from Shiro. And she hadn’t learned that by sitting still and listening; she had learned that by questioning, by arguing, by cackling at Adam’s high-pitched rendition of Coldplay, by taking Allura’s hands and stepping all over her feet, by teasing Coran for his obvious exaggerations, and by challenging Keith to help her find Mothman on his death bike. She had found these things out by jumping on Shiro’s back and teasing him for sounding like an old man, by printing off pictures of sunsets to share with Lance, and by spilling blue, sticky flour all over Hunk’s head when trying to make Shiro a birthday cake. Pidge hadn’t learned because she sat there and took in the knowledge; she learned because she wanted to get closer to the ones she loved. Because she wanted to grow with them.</p>
<p>But if they hadn’t wanted to grow with her, it never would have worked. Hunk would have yelled her out of the kitchen for the mess instead of laughing hysterically when she snapped a picture, Keith would have told her off for being rude about his bike instead of hypothesizing with her for vargas about where to look first, and Adam would have been offended by her cackling instead of pitching it higher until she was shrieking with laughter. Shiro would have warned her that she was too big for piggyback rides instead of sprinting around the castle with her at top speed, Coran would have told her to listen quietly instead of repeating it with more extreme emphasis, Allura would have told her to watch until she could do it instead of putting them both in socks while teaching Pidge to twirl, and Lance would have been haughty that she hadn’t listened in the first place instead of finding the best ways to hang the photos up in their rooms. Pidge hadn’t spent this time growing alone; she had grown with her space family the entire time. They had given her space to mess up, apologize, fix her mistakes, make new ones, pick herself up, and laugh about them. They had celebrated her successes with her, held her when she cried over her failures, and dragged her kicking and screaming out of her room when she needed a break. Heck, Lance had thrown her into the pool at one point and absolutely <i>destroyed</i> her in an all-out water war to keep her away from the computer for a varga.</p>
<p>No matter how hard she had been, her family had never once walked out on her. They had never given up or surrendered, and neither had she. No matter how far back they pulled, no matter how much they wanted to leave, Pidge would never walk out on them. They had been there for her through the best and worst of her life, and nothing in the universe would ever bring her to leave them behind. She would hold Hunk when he cried, antagonize Keith when he needed a good sparring session, relive memories with Lance when he was homesick, and make Adam chai just how he liked it when the man worked himself into the ground. She would hack Shiro’s room to smell like lavender when he was having a bad day, braid Allura’s hair when she needed to be reminded that they were a family, and play hide-and-seek in the vents with Coran, leaving trails of laughter for him to follow because he wasn’t left without anyone to play with. They were a family. She had their backs, and they had hers beyond time and space.</p>
<p>But when she looked at her family on Earth, all she could do was sigh and brace herself. She loved them, loved them with all her heart no matter what, and she would tear the universe to shreds to find them. But that didn’t mean that they were what she needed. And quiznak did it hurt to admit that when she looked at Matt, at his already teary amber eyes, at the way his hands trembled. But she was done with governing her emotions with their logic, she had to use her own. Her happiness wasn’t found by playing it safe; it was found by recklessly abandoning everything she could have for a <i>chance</i> at true joy. Pidge was done settling. Katie may have sat back as her wants, her needs, her everything was swept to the side in her mother’s attempt to bring their family back to the “normal” they had all moved past, but Pidge wouldn’t. That wasn’t the normal she dreamed of.</p>
<p>Matt knew that, Pidge was sure of it. Even if he didn’t know what she had dreamed of, he knew what she <i>hadn’t</i> dreamed of. She hadn’t dreamed of dresses, of polite conversations, of making arguments with substantial evidence and receiving “well, I don’t think so” as a response like that somehow stood up to all the logic she had presented them with. She hadn’t dreamed of being dismissed as inexperienced despite her time in an intergalactic war. And, this time, she didn’t feel somehow wrong for looking at those she loved and screaming her truth at the top of her lungs. She didn’t feel bad about demanding space to take up, about being her reckless, goofy, brash, kind, smart, unstoppable true self. She didn’t feel bad about taking her space family’s hands, Matt included, and facing down her parents because it wasn’t selfish. It was asking for her due and nothing more.</p>
<p>But, as Pidge skidded to a stop, Matt bit his lip and pulled up just behind her. Because she was still incredible to him. She was his little sister, tech wizard, Paladin of the Green Lion, and gremlin extraordinaire: Pidge Holt. She was all that and more. She wasn’t just a sister; she was his sister. He just hoped he would get to stand beside her and watch as Pidge came into her own.</p>
<p>Pidge turned, locking ethereal amber eyes with her brother’s matching pair, and she could feel a single truth pulsing through her veins. A single truth. Because she wasn’t wrong. She wasn’t wrong.</p>
<p>“Pi—”</p>
<p>“Duh, I’m okay,” scoffed Pidge, cocking her head as a reckless grin blossomed across her lips, curling up into her eyes. “I’ve been doing these operations for over a decaphoeb! Plus, your code basically disabled anyone who’s going to cross us, so now I know you’re not going to get shanked by some stupid sentry. But now’s not the time for stuff like that! We can talk through feelings and freakouts once we have the data in our flash drives and are on our way back home in Green. Sounds good?”</p>
<p>
  <i>She wasn’t wrong when she said she deserved better.</i>
</p>
<p>Pidge barely waited to catch the tension drain from her brother’s shoulders, pivoting to dash down the hallway again.</p>
<p>“But will you be okay back on Earth?”</p>
<p>Pidge barreled down the corridor, passing through a fake wall and barely resisting the urge to cackle as the lights brightened instantly. Any half-decent scientist needed the proper lighting to get their work done; guess that meant the rest of the ship was purposely gloomy. Pidge tightened her grip around her bayard, and bit back a smile as Matt’s eyes flashed into her mind again.</p>
<p>
  <i>Are you okay?</i>
</p>
<p>Pidge laughed, shaking her head slowly as she punched the control panel to open all doors in the hallway. Her brother could be just as much an idiot as he was a genius at times.</p>
<p>“Alright, let’s go!” She cheered, energy pulsing through her, and bouncing on her heels as Matt caught up with her, a grin still wavering in his eyes. “At this rate, we’ll be back on Earth by tomorrow.”</p>
<p>She glanced over at him, smirking as they hurried towards the first room. “So drop the worried face, you look like Lance when he found Allura asleep in the kitchen sink,” she added, grinning at the chuckle she managed to draw from her brother as she kicked down the door with a resounding <i><b>THUD</b></i>. “And, anyway, s’not like my love’s that weak.”</p>
<p>The doors slammed against the ground, and Pidge pumped her fists into the air with a triumphant howl.</p>
<p>She didn’t have to need someone to love them. She could grow beyond her family, could travel through space with her found family, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t come back to their arms on Earth. Her parents and her brother were also her family, and someday, no matter what, she would be able to stand up unabashedly and not care whether they loved her or hated her because <i>she would always be their daughter</i>.</p>
<p>But, for now, Pidge would just be herself. And, maybe, just maybe, that would be enough. Maybe being Pidge was enough.</p>
<p>Matt barely managed to keep himself from sinking to the ground, and Pidge spun around the room like a caffeinated fairy, whooping as tears sprang to her eyes. Matt was practically choking on his ecstasy, his eye drinking in the light of the room, and he tackled Pidge in a twirling hug. The two cheered, Pidge holding tight to her brother as he spun her around the room, the entire world melting away around them. It was just Pidge, Matt, and the comet they had risked everything to find.</p>
<p>“<i>We did it!</i>” Cried Pidge, tears trickling down her cheeks as she pulled out her flash drive and computer, her smile glowing brighter than any supernova. “<i>Matt, we finally did it!</i>”</p>
<p>Matt let out a strangled sob that sounded like he was trying to laugh, and he squeezed her close to him.</p>
<p>“I knew we could!” He breathed. “<i>I knew you could do it, Pidge!</i>”</p>
<p>Pidge scoffed, smacking his arm as she slipped free of the hug and plugged her computer into the main terminal.</p>
<p>“Are you kidding me?” She replied, grinning at him like everything she ever could have asked for was already with her, was already within her heart. “We did it together, bro! This victory,” she murmured, sliding her flash drive in and starting to hack the system, “goes to the Holt siblings!”</p>
<p>Matt chuckled, ruffling her hair, and pulling out his bo-staff as his timer gave a warning beep. They had used up half of their time. He snickered, pulling out a camera and snapping pictures of every detail of the room. Fifteen dobashes was plenty of time.</p>
<p>“Pidge, you’ve got the data?” He asked, sliding the pictures onto his last flash drive as his eyes flickered around the brightly-lit laboratory.</p>
<p>Pidge hummed in acknowledgement, and Matt yanked off his cloak. He turned to the nearest table, sweeping half of the tools onto his cloak. The comet loomed over them, chiselled and pulsing with a cruel purple light. Slivers of white snaked through it, but the rest was a pitch-black. Tubes connected it to half of the laboratory, and Matt swore he caught a glimpse of green liquid passing through some of them. The comet crackled with black electricity, and Pidge bit back the urge to throw up all over her computer as Lance’s scream echoed through her ears once more, his eyes shared with her own as light blinded them, feet digging into the ground and shield splintering as the ion cannon blazed against the two of them. No wonder Haggar had been able to pull that one out of nowhere.</p>
<p>Matt finished stealing a few tables of supplies (including some glass vials with a sparkling blue liquid that he reaaaaaaaally hoped were stronger than they seemed, because he did not want to find that leaking through his coat late), and tied the makeshift bag tight. He turned back to his sister, who’s lightning fingers had hacked them into the server and was already starting to download the data.</p>
<p>“I’m going to try to do some damage around here; have you got all the direct data?” He called.</p>
<p>“Give me a few more dobashes,” warned Pidge, fingers flying over the keys. “I’m almost done; I’ll let you know when I’ve moved on to the recorded files.”</p>
<p>“Gotcha!”</p>
<p>Matt smashed his bo-staff through the remaining vials of blue, green, orange, and a strangely sizzling pink liquid, leaving them to melt through the table and hiss as they made contact with the floor. That had better not be the ones he had in his cloak, geez. Pidge smirked as her brother spun around the room, breaking whatever tools he could and hiding the ones he couldn’t. Not a permanent solution, but it should slow them down. Finally, <i>finally</i>, they were able to finish what they were sent here to do.</p>
<p>“Direct data has been downloaded!” She reported. “Accessing secondary files now! Matt, switch with me, my bayard’s tip should be able to help with this!”</p>
<p>Matt saluted with a cheeky grin, scar wrinkling across his cheek into a little smiley face, and the two high-fived as Pidge summoned her bayard and Matt took her place in front of the computer. He was better at handling secondary information, anyway.</p>
<p>Pidge spun, eyes flickering over the comet, tracking the tubes running through the room as if the comet were the heart of the lab. As if it were the heart of the ship. She bit her lip, aiming her bayard at the lowest hanging one. If she could just get the angle right, she might be able to swing across to—</p>
<p>“Not so fast!” Snarled a familiar voice, grating over Pidge’s ears like nails on a chalkboard and turning her blood to ice.</p>
<p>Her stomach flipped, and Pidge twisted, flinging her bayard towards one of the people her mind knew she couldn’t defeat despite her heart’s howls for vengeance. Haggar dodged the blade, snatching the rope and yanking Pidge off-balance as her other hand rose, fingers crackling with electricity.</p>
<p>Pidge wrenched her bayard free of Haggar, tearing the witch to the side and throwing off her aim. Pidge shot her bayard through one of the tubes, letting it whip her out of the way as green liquid poured down between her and Haggar, Matt’s steady clicking never once flinching despite the battle growing around him. Pidge dropped in front of him, raising her bayard, and Haggar raising hissing yellow eyes to lock with the Green Paladin’s as the waterfall of goo slowed to a halt. The comet let out a creak. Pidge raised her chin high, gloved fingers clenching tightly around her bayard, hood shifting against her back, and glasses catching the light. Her short hair poked at her ear, her favorite shoes biting into the floor, and she dropped into the fighting stance Allura and Shiro had spent phoebs helping her perfect. She wasn’t fighting alone. It was never one-on-one when you were a Paladin of Voltron; if you came for one, then you came for all them. Because, light years away or not, Pidge carried her family with her in everything that she did.</p>
<p>“You’re not getting past me!” Roared Pidge, eyes flashing a searing green, and shadow twisting across the floor to snarl at Haggar, muscles coiled at ready to pounce at a moment’s notice, ready to protect her universe anytime and everytime; Pidge raised her bayard and that unflinching, reckless, blazing smile that was completely, utterly, and undeniably <i>hers</i>. “I’m a Paladin of Voltron, pilot of the Green Lion, and <i>I will never yield an inch to the likes of you!</i>”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Circlet of Queens Part I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“And after he had finished dancing <i>on my toes</i>,” managed Acxa between bursts of laughter, “this allied princess practically threw herself onto his arm, gushing about what an amazing dancer he was! And Lotor was all smiles and politeness, of course, but his <i>eyebrows!</i> They were through the roof for the entire night!”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Allura let the giggles spill from her uncontrollably, throwing back her head in a ripple of white curls and sparkles skipping off her Altean marks as Acxa regaled her with Lotor’s first time in the ballroom.</p><p>	“And after he had finished dancing <i>on my toes</i>,” managed Acxa between bursts of laughter, “this allied princess practically threw herself onto his arm, gushing about what an amazing dancer he was! And Lotor was all smiles and politeness, of course, but his <i>eyebrows!</i> They were through the roof for the entire night!”</p><p>	Allura cackled, shaking her head and reaching over to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Acxa’s ear. The general’s breath hitched at the movement, at the faintest brush of Allura’s fingers leaving a trail of fire along her cheek, and the peony sweetness of the princess’ smile stealing away the tension from her shoulders. She stuffed the rest of the chocolate-and-pomegranate bar into her mouth, lips twisting into a grimace, and Allura let out a ringing peal of laughter.</p><p>“I agree,” the princess replied, tossing away the wrapper with a wrinkled brow. “I have not the faintest clue how Lan loves those so much, but it keeps him happy during road trips.”</p><p>Acxa chuckled.</p><p>“I think the fact that you keep them there makes him happier,” she replied, eyes settling soft as petals on a compartment nearly bursting with bars. “He always eats more of them when you’re not around.”</p><p>Allura’s Altean markings gave a twinkle, and she slid her fingers along a pink beaded barrette, soft clicks filling the Red Lion as they flew ever closer to the coordinates Lotor had slipped into Acxa’s hand with that knowing smile.</p><p>“He is a good brother,” murmured Allura, a faint pulse of blue lighting up along her arm. “I miss him already.”</p><p>“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine,” promised Acxa, covering Allura’s hand over the controls and tilting her lips into a smile. “He is a most renowned fighter. And he has much to live for. Your new Earthen family seemed quite large and lively.”</p><p>A shadow crackled across Allura’s celestial eyes, her lips pursing and fingers tightening under Acxa’s. She clutched the barrette harshly.</p><p>	“Your story about Lotor—the dancing one—it reminds me of my first ball,” stated Allura haltingly, flipping away from the topic like it had more magic than Haggar. “I was wearing this <i>horrifically</i> long dress and, no matter what Coran and I did, it would not stop catching on my heels! I practically knocked over all of my partners, and by the time the last ambassador had to dance with me, he looked like a man resigned to fate.”</p><p>“A fate of walking to his doom?” Teased Acxa, pointing carefully to the left as they passed into the solar system. “Has your brother accepted his similar fate?”</p><p>“No, I have greatly improved since then. As have my tailors,” she added with a chuckle. “What about you, General? How are your dancing skills?”</p><p>Acxa smiled, reaching over to pluck the barrette from Allura’s fiddling fingers, and parting the back of her hair into two sections.</p><p>“They are unremarkable,” she replied with a faint chuckle, snapping one of the sections into the chipped—and were those acid burns?—barrette. “Enough that they do not disgrace Lotor, but not so much as to attract anyone to me.”</p><p>Allura leaned back into the fingers running like streams through her waterfall of hair, combing out the tangles in a hopeless struggle, massaging the base of her skull. She hummed softly, casting her crystalline eyes back at the breathtaking general, and nearly melted through the chair as she took in the red armor, thick to any blow, golden accents spiralling through the metal and drawing eyes away from the thinner gray bodysuit underneath that lent Acxa flexibility on the battlefield. It was impervious and yet pliable to Acxa’s needs in a fight, power glowing off each smooth plate into an aura of invincibility around the General; it was the perfect armor. Plus, it brought out her eyes.</p><p>“You do not wish for any suitors?” Managed Allura, nearly choking on her words (her brain was <i>not</i> helping!) as Acxa continued pulling half of her hair into what Lance had once called a “dush” braid (though she knew it as an Haljafri braid), her eyes glowing like Allura’s irises held the entire universe in their blue shimmer.</p><p>“No,” stated Acxa, clearing her throat self-consciously and winding a hair tie around the completed braid; since when had she started carrying those on her? “I had a duty—<i>have</i> a duty—to Lotor. I am not only his General, but also his advisor; I dread to see what he would do without me. And…he saved all of us. He gave us a family, he gave us this future, he gave us this <i>life</i>. He isn’t just my Emperor or my friend,” she added with a smile spreading its wings over her face, “he is my brother, just as Lance is for you. He is irreplaceable.”</p><p>Allura hummed warmly, but Acxa bit her lip as she slid to the other side of Allura’s hair, snapping the barrette free of the thick white curls. Because she meant every one of those words; even if he hadn’t given her this priceless world, Lotor had given her his trust, his friendship, his honest self that so few got to see, the true <i>Lotor</i>. And that was more than she could ever imagine, more than she could bring herself to believe she deserved, no matter how much Lotor insisted that she deserved the best of life. He would say she deserved the sun if she asked for it, and he would stop at nothing to pluck it from the sky for her.</p><p>But he never seemed to understand that he deserved all that and more.</p><p>
  <i>Acxa slid the black clips into place, the final reminders of her childhood on the streets still slotting so easily into her hair, almost too easily, like nothing had changed since then. Like those alleyways were still piled high with garbage instead of scoured clean on Lotor’s command, like those biracial children’s hollow, wide eyes still greeted her arrival with food instead of running down to a laden table in the families Lotor had found for them, like she still had the constant taste of blood in her mouth from protecting her street family instead of a gun in her hand to guard her true family. Like the greatest gift she would ever be given were these hair pieces thrown at her head to get her out of a grumpy man’s shop. So much had changed, but Acxa still felt at times like, if she blinked too long, she would wake up in a garbage heap again to discover that all of this was just another dream.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Acxa,” called Lotor, the door clicking shut behind him and a white plastic bag dangling from his fingers, “they had your ‘sinnamun’ buns at the store, so I grabbed three packs of them.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Acxa chuckled, hopping off the bed and padding into the kitchen as she tied her jacket around her waist.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Did you get breakfast for yourself?” She asked, eyebrow arching as she folded her arms, a faint smirk on her lips. “One you can actually eat?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Of course,” replied Lotor, flipping his hair dramatically while pulling out the sweets and laying them across the table. “I have gotten myself a donut instead of those terrible excuses for meat on a stick.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Acxa snorted with giggles, sliding his cup of coffee across the table to him in exchange for a pack of cinnamon buns.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Our garbage will appreciate it greatly,” she teased, yanking her coffee cup out of his reach and grinning at the faint pout to his lip. “I have good news for you.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Lotor groaned, rubbing at his forehead, and gulped down a good half of his coffee.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Acxa, if the sun is not up, I don’t even want to think about the cloning facility—”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“No, it’s not that,” interrupted Acxa, sipping at her tea and smiling softly at her brother. “We have the day off; Allura saw to it that all meetings today would address the Green Paladin’s scheduled departure, not yours. She saw that I—uh, that we—were too busy handling the plans for the final battle to worry about the expedition details in addition to the affairs of the Galran Empire, so she coordinated a free day for us.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Lotor slurped slowly at his coffee, letting the sound fill the apartment as he arched an eyebrow pointedly at her. Acxa stuffed a cinnamon roll in her mouth.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“That must have been difficult,” he finally stated, “given how much has yet to be decided. We have not even finished pinpointing the landing spot, fuel required, flight path, or timing to return. I cannot imagine the effort she must have had to expend to allow us a free day; truly, a labor of love,” he concluded.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Acxa scowled, and Lotor bit into his donut innocently.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Lotor, if love had anything to do with this, then it was for you,” she replied. “Allura agreed as soon as I brought up concerns about your health.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“So, as soon as you were distressed.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Acxa threw up her hands, and Lotor snickered, powdered sugar billowing from his donut in self-satisfied waves. At least they didn’t touch Acxa’s coffee.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Lotor, I know you like her.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>The words were spoken softly, nearly swallowed up by the silence of the apartment, but they were loud enough to freeze Lotor’s donut halfway to his mouth. Acxa sat back in her chair, arms folded again and thunder on her brow. “Don’t try to hide it. I’ve known you for, what, nine decaphoebs? Ten?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Eleven,” muttered Lotor, setting down the donut on its wrapper and lacing his fingers before meeting Acxa’s gaze.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Eleven decaphoebs,” agreed Acxa. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? From the moment you walked back into the Castle of Lions, you had eyes only for her. When you chose me to go and help Voltron defend against the strike, I though it was because they were a valuable ally, so you wanted your top general arriving first. But that wasn’t it, was it? You wanted your best there to show Allura who she would have by her side as the Empress of the Galran Empire. You wanted me to be there so Allura could see the universe you’re trying to create, so she could see your true heart.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Lotor bit his lip, and Acxa reached across the table to squeeze his hand. “And that heart, in all its honesty, has belonged to Allura since you first saw her. No matter how hard you try to fight it, you love Allura. You are in love with Allura.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Acxa—”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“So don’t think for even a tick that I’m going to make a move on her,” stated Acxa, drawing herself upright and boring her molten eyes into Lotor’s. “She is yours to court, Lotor. You never even considered marriage before she showed up, but don’t think I missed those romance books you snuck to your room. I know you’ve wanted love. I know you’ve waited for decaphoebs to feel that connection, to have someone take that place in your life, to have someone by your side who is just as in love with you as you are with them,” she continued, swallowing as light pooled in Lotor’s eyes, and she offered him a shaky smile. “Do you actually think I could possibly take that away from you? Lotor, she’s everything you’ve never dared to want. She’s everything I’ve wished you to have. You have a chance with her, don’t waste it. Go to Oriande with her, okay?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Acxa, I can’t—”</i>
</p><p><i>“You </i>can<i>,” insisted Acxa, even as she began tugging on her finger again. “I’ll retract my spot and go with Kuron to the cloning facility instead. Oriande is meant for Alteans, after all, so it would make more sense for you to be there anyway, and it’s an easy excuse to maintain good rela—”</i></p><p><i>“Acxa!” Broke in Lotor harshly, leaning forward as tears flashed in his eyes. “Enough. I’m not the only one who is in love with the princess. I have known you as long as you have known me, and it would take a fool to not see how she has become your world. She is not just your love,” he pressed on, flipping his hand over and squeezing Acxa’s softly, “she is your everything. You have sacrificed so much for me, Acxa. You have put your life on the line for me time and time again, you have supported me with rebuilding Altea even though it would put you through torture if discovered, and you threw away any chance of romance so that you could support me. Oh, don’t give me that look, I know you can dance better than half of the princesses at those balls. You have given me more than enough just by staying beside me, by being honest with me, by loving me as I have loved you. You are already more than enough. And, Acxa, that love you know I want? That connection? It has to be mutual,” he managed, gulping down a quiet sob. “Neither of us can decide who the princess will choose. That is up to her and her alone. I know the choice she has made, and I have already accepted it, as has she. You are the only one who has not. So, please,” he continued, standing and gesturing to the nearest closet, “accept the prin—accept </i>Allura<i>—as she is, and accept yourself as worthy to wear the royal armor.”</i></p><p>
  <i>Acxa grimaced. As soon as he had become Emperor, Lotor had made all his generals a set of royal armor, something limited to the crown family. Lotor was her family, he always had been, but to claim to be his family where royal blood flowed through those veins and mud shot through her own…it was too presumptuous.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“You are my sister, Acxa. You always have been,” insisted Lotor, placing one hand on her shoulder and giving her that soft, warm smile that always brought tears to her eyes. “So, please, hold your head high. For your brother, okay?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>	Water slid down her cheeks, and Lotor wiped it away with a flick of his fingers, flinging away anything that could ever make her sad, just as he always did. And just as she would always do for him.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Okay.”</i>
</p><p>Acxa snapped a hair tie around the second Haljafri braid, pulling herself from her own thoughts and straight into Allura’s celestial eyes, her sunshine smile, her glowing markings. Straight into the beauty of the first person she ever had the courage to love.</p><p>“I would love to see you dance sometime,” Allura was saying, flicking through controls on the Red Lion’s panel, a steady hand guiding them ever closer to Oriande, to all Alteans’ dream. “We are the only ones in the Red Lion, so hopefully you needn’t fear any…<i>unwanted</i> suitors.”</p><p>Allura’s markings flared pink, little pockets of glow on her cheeks, and Acxa could feel the silver shooting to her own ears. Allura’s fingers hovered over a song, her crystalline eyes fixed on anything but Acxa, and her lips compressed into a single, hard line. She was hesitating, waiting for Acxa’s permission, eyes transposing the pressure of the decision onto the pink star out the window, doing everything in her power to keep their alliance separate from this conversation. Because Acxa knew that diplomacy had nothing to do with this, that if she laughed and refused, made some excuse, Allura would laugh along, drop her hand from the song, and never offer to dance again.</p><p>She would never reach out to cradle Acxa’s hand in her own like it was precious <i>with</i> all its scars, not in spite of them. She would never go to Acxa when her fears about the mission were crushing her, when the idea of leaving behind her family to face Sendak by themselves was tearing her to shreds, when her entire body was shaking and all she needed was to be drawn into a tight hug, to be reminded of the strength of her family, that they had faced down worse odds and come home again, that they loved her too much to fail. Allura would never go to Acxa to be promised that she would never be left alone again. <i>After all</i>, Acxa had murmured, running her fingers through those thick curls as Allura sobbed against her shoulder, <i>I will always be here for you</i>.</p><p>Allura would never eat dinner with her alone in the Castle of Lions, laughter light as bells filling the hall, stories flying back and forth between the two, and all decorum dropped for the chance to get to know Acxa better. She would never pull up outside the apartment in the middle of the night when Acxa had a nightmare, the hoverbike practically screeching to a stop, and take the stairs three at a time to burst through the door, ignoring Lotor’s confusion, and hold Acxa close to her until the visions were beaten back by the warmth of her smile. She would never walk side-by-side with Acxa after a mission, close enough that their hands were just brushing, so close to sliding into one another’s.</p><p>She would never be <i>this</i> Allura to her again, the brilliantly shining girl who devoted herself to those she loved with an open heart, helping hand, and steady shoulder, who had more strength in those eyes than most people possessed throughout their entire life, who was sweet and gentle, constantly striving to be better, to be the best version of herself that she could be for her family. Ally, friend, or maybe eventually family, she would never be this Allura with Acxa again, this close or open or…<i>loving</i>. She would never be Allura to Acxa again; she would be Princess.</p><p>And Acxa would fight for Allura, no matter the cost.</p><p>Because Acxa wanted to kiss Allura’s knuckles when she took Acxa’s hand, she wanted to sweep Allura off her feet and chase the tears from her cheeks with a date, she wanted to feed Allura some of her food at dinner and laugh at the rosy blush on her cheeks, she wanted to wake up to Allura’s warmth after a nightmare, to intertwine their fingers as they walked down the hall, to finish every promise she made with the single truth she would stand by beyond death: <i>I love you.</i></p><p>And, as Acxa reached past Allura and pressed play on the song, she could almost feel Lotor’s hand on her back, pushing her that last step forward. <i>Go</i>, he whispered, <i>take your place in her heart.</i></p><p>Acxa squared her shoulders with a faint <i>clink</i> of her armor, sliding one leg behind her, and leading Allura’s hand to her lips as she knelt into a regal curtsy before the only queen she would ever give her heart to.</p><p>“If I may lead you to the dance floor, dear Allura,” she said, a gentle smile on her lips as Allura’s Altean marks lit up like fireworks on her cheeks; she hadn’t slept through her time by Lotor’s side in the royal court, “you would make me the happiest person in the universe.”</p><p>Allura’s breath stuttered, tears pooling in her eyes and, as a traditional Altean dance song began, a smile that could eclipse all the darkness in the universe blossomed across her face. This, this was why Acxa had fallen in love with her at first sight. This smile that blew apart all the pain she carried in her heart, that lifted the weight of cruelty from her shoulders, that gave her wings with just a single ray of its light, that shone brightly despite the agony that Allura had endured. She had lost <i>everything</i>, her family, her home, her planet, her life as the Crown Princess of Altea, and had been reborn as an orphan of war. But she had picked up her castle, her fortitude, her faith, and her courage, and had become the Queen of the Voltron Alliance.</p><p>She was a force of nature.</p><p>But she was also a princess who had barely come of age in time to be courted, and had certainly not been courted in the old ways since she had stepped into that cryopod. And, if nothing else, Acxa swore she would give Allura back this piece of her old home.</p><p>So, as a single tear slid down her face and Red flipped into autopilot, Allura slid her hand into Acxa’s and allowed the woman she loved more than she thought possible to lead her off the pilot seat and into a close, sweeping dance. It may have been decaphoebs, but Allura remembered this dance better than she did the color of her hairbrush. She could still feel her mother’s hands guiding her across the dance floor, her father’s distant sobs that his little baby girl was growing up echoing from the not-quite-closed door, and Coran’s proud tears as she completed the hardest twirl “with the elegance of a true queen.” She could never forget those hours they had spent teaching her the first half of the most sacred dance in Altea, the one that would guide her into the future, that would define her reign, because leading was not the job of the King or the Queen, but rather the job of the King <i>and</i> Queen. Whoever she chose would carry the future of Altea on their shoulders just as much as she would, and they would be determined through this dance.</p><p>This dance that Allura thought had died with her parents.</p><p>“Lotor preserved it,” replied Acxa to Allura’s unspoken question, her eyes sparkling like a silver stream, her steps mirroring the Altean’s movements. “He insisted that we respect this ancient courtship dance, though he would not tell anyone where it came from. Since I helped form the Altean colony though…”</p><p>She shrugged, twirling Allura close to her and swaying in time to the slow beats before spinning Allura free and pirouetting to her princess’ side. “I felt it was only honorable.”</p><p>“Well,” replied Allura with a breathless chuckle, one arm slipping around her general’s back and the other dipping beneath her knees as Allura swept her off her feet, “you are certainly more honorable in your dancing than your word; you undersold yourself terribly on your skills.”</p><p>Acxa’s ears flushed a glowing silver, her arms looped around Allura’s neck and a smile on her lips that set off fireworks inside of Allura’s stomach. She spun Acxa to the floor, and her general interlaced their fingers as they danced around one another. And, sure, objectively Allura knew that this impromptu dance had nothing on the Altean balls of old, that it was nothing like what her first courtship dance should be. Their heavy boots clunked against the floor instead of tapping, their gloved hands clapped with a muffled <i>pumf</i> instead of an echoing sharpness, and Acxa’s divine eyes flashed with the red of the cabin rather than the mosaic of colors in a ballroom, but all of that disappeared when Acxa’s fingers clasped Allura’s waist and she was flown into the air, her hands tight around Acxa’s shoulders as her general spun them around the room, laughter trailing behind them, and Allura felt her heart blossom in her chest. Because it didn’t need to be perfect to be perfect to her; it just had to end with Acxa’s hand in her own and their hearts beating as one.</p><p>The song began to crackle, and Allura felt her blood quicken in anticipation within her veins. The first half of their dance was dictated by Altean custom, by decaphoebs of traditional steps and spins, by the history of her planet. The second part was different.</p><p>Allura giggled, anticipation mingling with delight as Acxa grinned up at her. The second half of the dance featured a different song chosen by the suitor, who would choreograph a matching dance. It had been the part that endlessly confused Allura as a child, because she had no way of learning the steps ahead of time, so how could she possibly synchronize with them? No matter how many times her parents explained to her that it was her partner’s job to pick something that resonated with both of them, something that Allura could catch on to, she couldn’t help getting hung up on the fact that the strength of their bond, their unspoken understanding of each other, the inherent communication of her as-yet-unknown suitor and herself would be tested in every spin. Because Acxa was not allowed to tell Allura about any step of the routine; they just had to feel it through each other, to reach out with their quintessence and confirm the bond their energy instinctively formed with their soulmate. For, when Acxa had stepped into the Castle of Lions, Allura had known instantly that Acxa was her soulmate, but she had no way of knowing if she was <i>Acxa’s</i> soulmate. Soulmates didn’t always match up, after all, and Allura didn’t want their diplomatic obligations to affect the relationship that had begun to weave itself between them that day.</p><p>She only hoped the tapestry was half as lovely as Acxa’s smile and, as the song began, she slid her hands into Acxa’s and took a deep breath. She trusted Acxa with her life; a dance was nothing. And yet it was everything.</p><p>“I suppose that I look different without the robes and crown,” sang Acxa softly as the song began, her hands gentle in Allura’s as she guided them in a tender sashay around the room. “I come this day before you with no riches, no renown,<br/>
For here I am no leader,” she added, guiding Allura close to her and crossing her princess’ arms over her stomach to twine with Acxa’s as they swayed together, cheeks pressed close. “I am just a humble man.<br/>
And I only ask you take me, you take me as I am.”</p><p>Allura’s throat closed, tears sparkling like jewels in her eyes, and her Altean marks glowing in time to their steps circling the room. Just as Altean had made up her past, had been the roots that nurtured her into the person she now was, so had it led her onto the dance floor with the person she most loved. But just as English had connected her to a new family, a new path, a new identity that she could flourish within, so too did it irrevocably tie her to her future hand-in-hand with Acxa. Not a single step was missed, not a beat was lost on her, and when Acxa’s fingers slid free of her own, Allura didn’t even need to look to twirl in sync with her partner across the Red Lion before reclaiming her love’s hand.</p><p>Some of the lights dimmed in Red’s cabin, splaying pinks and whites across the floor as well as the ruby red, and the couple’s quick steps dipped in and out of colors, eyes captivated by each other. Acxa could barely breathe as Allura squeezed her hand softly, her twin Dutch braids clipped together with the treasured sparkling pink barrette, and she could almost feel Lance’s approving nod from back on Earth. <i>Treat her like the Queen she is inside.</i></p><p>“I’m not looking for perfection, I’m not offering a saint,” sang Acxa, fingers shifting slightly in Allura’s, and her princess’ eyes lit up like nebulas as she spun away, leaving a hand to trail on Acxa’s waist as their arms flowed out like wings and their feet danced in a light circle. “I’m not looking for a pretty bird to put in some restraint,” promised Acxa, catching Allura’s hand and raising it for her princess to slip under, steps pulling them apart and fingers flying out as if to catch the wind.</p><p>Because she didn’t want to trap Allura, she never wanted her to feel captured in Acxa’s embrace. She wanted her princess to <i>choose</i> Acxa’s arms around her, their fingers intertwined, their hearts dancing together for all time. She wanted Allura to want this future with her.</p><p>And as Allura’s hand slid around Acxa’s arm, their fingers lacing together and rising behind them, legs stretching out to clunk their toes against the ground to form a pyramid, Acxa felt their hearts pound in unison. “The only thing I want is that you love me if you can,” she sang, water glistening in her eyes as she felt her answer thrum through their intertwined hands. “And I only ask you take me, you take me as I am.”</p><p>Allura giggled as Acxa twirled her away, their hands crossing and thumbs tapping through their armor, the metallic clang bringing a glow to her Altean markings. It reminded her of wedding bells. She spun back to Acxa’s side and continued twirling past; Acxa’s fingers were looser than usual.</p><p>“I offer you a look inside,” promised Acxa, guiding Allura’s steps in a circle behind her, never once twisting to guard her exposed back, “I offer you that trust.”</p><p>Acxa’s arm caught Allura’s waist as she turned, a spark in her eye, and Allura arced over her hands, letting her fingers drift along as they spun in a slow circle. Her smile turned blissful, and her heart sped up to match Acxa’s because, suspended over the ground on a single person’s arm with her head hanging freely, Allura had never felt safer.</p><p>“I need your strength to help me fight the battles that I must,” admitted Acxa, guiding Allura to standing tall again, and she swung their intertwined hands forwards as their back arms flared out. “I need you to remind me of the light we bear within,” she continued, her fingers slipping free of Allura’s to pirouette together, their eyes catching each other’s between spins.</p><p>Acxa’s heart felt like bursting as their legs landed low, hands fast around each other’s waists and arms still spread wide as they twirled around each other. The words nearly caught in her throat as Allura’s arm slid around her shoulders a split tick before her own hand looped beneath her princess’ front knee and, when their eyes met, the universe stood still.</p><p>“That there’s more to life than struggle,” sang Acxa, joy painting her words a vibrant pink as she spun Allura off the ground, twirling around the Red Lion’s cabin in an endless loop, just like she hoped their happiness together would be, “and the things we seek to win!”</p><p>Allura’s toes rippled back to the ground, and she spun an arm around Acxa’s shoulder just as her general did the same for her once more.</p><p>“Don’t take me out of duty,” begged Acxa, her jewelled eyes fixated on Allura’s as their feet popped forward and backward in time with the beat, and Allura placed her heart in her own eyes because <i>duty has nothing to do with us; I just saw a beautiful girl and fell in love</i>, “and don’t take me out of pride,<br/>
Just take me if the man you see is one you’d stand beside.”</p><p>Allura twirled back, facing Acxa head-on, and placed a hand atop her shoulder, reaching out for her general’s free hand with a smile even as they sashayed softly around the room.</p><p>“I’m offering an open heart,” murmured Acxa, folding her fingers through Allura’s and bringing the soft hand up to press a kiss to her princess’ knuckles. “I’m asking for your hand.”</p><p>Allura pulled Acxa’s hand to her lips, returning the kiss, a giddy smile spreading across her lips as the unspoken words filled the air. Their hands, still glowing from the kisses, slid back into each other’s, and they swept around the cabin, each step feeling like it could leave glittering gold footprints behind with the sheer force of love spiralling through their bodies. Their ankles clanked together in time with the music, their toes squeaking as they twirled together, their steps getting faster and faster, the room spinning by in a blur of colors, their twined fingers the only thing that felt real anymore, even when they slipped with sweat, but all Allura could think as she gazed into Acxa’s eyes was <i>this is what love is made of</i>.</p><p>“And I only ask you take me, you take me as I am,” sang Acxa, dipping Allura so low her hair grazed the floor, their glowing irises never once breaking contact, “you take me as I am…”</p><p>She twirled Allura back to her feet, guiding her around with a light touch and, as they turned to where King Alfor and Queen Melenor should be, sitting and nearly crying as their daughter completed her last courtship dance, both girls bowed into a low curtsy.</p><p>Allura tightened her hold on Acxa’s hand as she drew herself up tall, a faint sting prodding at her heart, but Acxa’s fractured breath shot her eyes to the front. Tears slid down over the shining Altean marks, and Allura pressed a hand to her mouth in a breathless laugh, a sob catching in her throat.</p><p>The Red Lion’s spirit sat there, purring softly as the quintessence flecked off it in red sparkles, and a faint smile on its lips. Allura couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t understand, <i>how—</i></p><p>“<i>I was Alfor’s Lion once, kit,</i>” reminded Red as the Lion stood, padding over to Allura and pressing her forehead to the princess’. “<i>I could never miss his daughter’s once-in-a-lifetime courtship dance.</i>”</p><p>Allura’s hands couldn’t catch her sob, and Acxa wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close and tucking her against her chest. Red hummed, licking Allura softly, and sending a thrum of approval through their bond. “<i>Be happy, my princess. You two have the celestial blessing that your parents would have gladly bestowed upon you.</i>”</p><p>Allura’s throat barricaded any words behind it, but she mustered a nod, and Red chuckled gently. “<i>Go on, then</i>,” nudged Red, flicking her tail towards Acxa. “<i>The ceremony is not complete until you declare your truth and seal it with a kiss.</i>”</p><p>That was right; they were not official until she gave her assessment of the courtship dance. But, to be honest, even if Acxa hadn’t gone beyond her wildest dreams, Allura would have said yes phoebs ago. Because it had always been Acxa, only Acxa. She forced in a breath, turning to the person who held her heart, her soul, her very <i>being</i>, and pried her lips open as the truth filled her every thought in a neverending stream of <i>I love you I love you I love you so much I can’t breathe I can’t think I can’t dream of living without you by my side I love you Acxa I love you—</i></p><p>Allura tipped up on her toes, arms wrapping around Acxa’s shoulders and noses grazing as their eyes slid closed. She could still feel it, the unconditional bond between them, that unparalleled understanding, it was everything she had ever wanted. Acxa’s hands slid to Allura’s waist, steadying her, and Allura melted into the touch as their lips—</p><p>“Allura!”</p><p>—were torn apart by Acxa’s warning cry, and Allura spun with one hand already on her bayard. She leapt across the cabin, grabbing the controls and jerking them away from the pillar of fire consuming their view. Red gave a confused snarl as she yanked back, pivoting under Allura’s fingers so they were still facing the flames, and the map gave an alarming beep.</p><p>Acxa frowned, stepping closer to the swirling circle of flames spinning just beyond the window, and rested a hand on Allura’s shoulder. Her princess was heaving breath into her body, a faint grimace on her lips, but the hand she pressed to Acxa’s was soft. The map beeped again, and Red nudged Allura with a playful purr towards the crescendo of fire. Because of course her Lion liked the idea of a flame bath, of course.</p><p>“Oh Altea,” she murmured breathlessly, tightening her hold on Acxa as a lion’s face roared through the fire, and Allura’s markings glowed white-hot. “We made it.”</p><p>Acxa could only nod, her eyes fixated by the roaring gate of flames, and she pressed her lips to Allura’s hand one last time before bowing with a flourish at the window.</p><p>“Oriande awaits, dear Allura.”</p><p>If Oriande was awaiting Allura, it was apparently rather mad about how long she had taken to get there. Not that she wasn’t getting a <i>very</i> warm welcome, but as she eyed the flames spiralling outside her window in the vacuum of space, she remembered with a chill that she didn’t know <i>anything</i> about Oriande. Her fingers curled around her bayard, and she tore her eyes back to Acxa.</p><p>Her general just smiled, and a thrum of faith passed through her bond. Acxa knew as much as Allura did about Oriande, but that didn’t shake her confidence in Allura. She had watched her princess win countless space battles, force a wormhole into existence, win an argument with the Red Lion, shoot herself into the astral plane in a weakened condition to save her brother and win a fight against the Black Lion only to turn around and complete a space battle afterwards. Oriande had nothing on her battlefield princess.</p><p>“Together,” stated Allura, reaching out with one hand as Red let out a roar and pounced at the gate of flames.</p><p>Acxa slid her fingers through Allura’s and locked their jewelled eyes, one hand already on her gun and a warrior’s smirk across her lips. Allura wished she had kissed those lips at least once.</p><p>“Together.”</p><p>	“Alright, Oriande,” challenged Allura, a glint in her eyes to rival the Red Lion’s and Acxa’s hand in her own, “let’s dance!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p><p>For all those reading this before 9 am CST on the publishing date, I'm going to publish the last five chapters tomorrow because it is late and I require *zzzzzZZZZZZZ*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. For Better or For Worse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“So…what you’re saying is……they turned Sendak into a lost cat?” Asked Lance, continuing his mad dash through the Garrison’s tunnels as a cackle slipped from his grinning lips. “They turned <i>Sendak</i> into a <i>lost cat!</i> Mraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!”</p>
<p>	“Oh my god, Lance, no!”</p>
<p>	“But, literally, yes,” managed Adam between snickers as Hunk groaned over the intercom. “Sanda has officially turned Sendak into a lost kitty.”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So…what you’re saying is……they turned Sendak into a lost cat?” Asked Lance, continuing his mad dash through the Garrison’s tunnels as a cackle slipped from his grinning lips. “They turned <i>Sendak</i> into a <i>lost cat!</i> Mraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!”</p>
<p>	“Oh my god, Lance, no!”</p>
<p>	“But, literally, yes,” managed Adam between snickers as Hunk groaned over the intercom. “Sanda has officially turned Sendak into a lost kitty.”</p>
<p>	Because, apparently, Iverson and Sanda had spent half the morning screeching at Adam and Shiro about the great danger Sendak posed (as Shiro quirked an eyebrow at them with his deadpan <i>I-survived-a-war-don’t-@-me</i> expression until they remembered he had faced down Sendak multiple times and finally shut up), and insisted that the Galra landing crew must be a complete secret, especially since they had taken over an old Garrison Headquarters. <i>What, should we refer to them as our lost cats or something?</i> Adam had joked, and Sanda apparently looked at him like he had finally done something right in his life. So, Sendak was now a lost little kitten.</p>
<p>According to Shiro, that was a promotion.</p>
<p>	Lance giggled as he flexed his fingers against the familiar tug of his paladin armor, the faint thrums of Black’s purrs vibrating through every bone in his body. His bayard felt like a live fuse under his palm, almost buzzing as his heart took to drumming against his chest and his Altean markings like flashlights in the tunnel. Keith was racing along beside him, inky black armor melting into the low lights, and twin swords already unsheathed as his sharp eyes fixed on his family with that faint, content smile that seemed to settle across his lips so often now. Shiro rolled his bayard between his fingers, helmet drawn low, and shoulder brushing against his brother’s in an attempt to keep himself from dissolving into peals of laughter. Adam was keeping close to the wall as he ran, fiddling with one of his electric arrows and flashing Lance that riotous smirk he always wore before telling off Iverson. They were going to need it.</p>
<p>According to Sanda, the Galaxy Headquarters that Sendak had chosen to turn into his hideout had an underground parking garage that led directly inside if they could find it. Although the newest Galaxy Garrison “most certainly does <i>not</i> have any criminal underground network, Paladin Lance,” it would connect them to that parking garage undetected. But, handling all the new little “modifications” that had definitely been made to the Garrison under its new occupants’ rule? That was up to the Paladins.</p>
<p>Lance saluted with an ultra-serious Voltron expression, and nearly cheered when he pulled a snort out of his brother. If everyone had been devastated when Pidge and Matt left, to also lose Coran and Allura at the same time? It was like the sun had gone out. And <i>dios</i>, Lance felt it too, those were his uncle, brother, and two sisters that he had been forced to say goodbye to, but he couldn’t let everything fall apart again. Everyone was holding themselves together, pushing towards the end of the war effort, but being good paladins didn’t mean they were being good to themselves.</p>
<p>	Lance was having <i>none of that</i>. Between his time finalizing battle plans (“Shiro, if you suggest cucumber cannons <i>one more time</i>, I will punt you out of this room!”), answering questions from the Garrison on Pidge and Hunk’s work while his brother was tending to Yellow (“Next time, if you guys don’t want to end up cleaning acidic bubble gum out of the hangar, maybe don’t press the button that says <i><b>Do Not Touch!</b></i>”), negotiating with fellow members of the Voltron Coalition (“Klaizap, we appreciate your true Arusian warrior spirit, but could you guys just open up a communication port instead…?”), and keeping his little royals from torching the house (“HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO MELT MICROWAVE-SAFE TUPPERWARE?!”), he had somehow managed to wrangle his space family into movie nights, occasional family dinners, and an almost daily video game tournament. And if he had personally cooked those family dinners, well……who was he kidding, they all knew; they knew him like no one else ever had. After all, it only took two nights before they insisted on adding to the buffet.</p>
<p>	Lance blew out a slow breath, sliding his fingers through Keith’s and raising his boyfriend’s fist to his lips without breaking his stride.</p>
<p>	“Ready to do some more sharp work, Samurai?” He teased softly, twirling his bayard into a rifle between his fingers and throwing it over his shoulder along with a wink at his boyfriend. “I hear this place has a few stray cats that need rounding up.”</p>
<p>	“About as ready as you are, Sharpshooter,” he returned, the faint light of the tunnel’s lights lending a glimmer to his sword that had nothing on the blaze of his indigo eyes. “After all, someone <i>did</i> tell me I have a special connection with cats.”</p>
<p>	Adam choked beside Lance, giggles spluttering out along with his attempts to breathe, and Shiro reached over to ruffle his little brother’s hair. Lance threw a hand against his chest, gasping dramatically.</p>
<p>	“Hunk was right! Galra Keith is funnier!” He cried, dodging Keith’s swipe at his nose and cackling as his boyfriend continued to try and grab at his head.</p>
<p>Some things never changed, thank Altea. “It’s almost like he’s got a purr-sonality now!”</p>
<p>	“Nope, vetoed, denied, booed off the stage,” teased Adam, tossing an imaginary tomato at his little brother.</p>
<p>	Lance stuck out his tongue before yanking his helmet back on to protect his hair against Keith’s incessant attacks.</p>
<p>	“Awwwww, fine,” he whined, throwing a finger gun at Keith. “Don’t be mad, I was just…kitten around!”</p>
<p>	Keith’s eyes glazed over, and Lance giggled, switching the rifle to his blaster without so much as blinking. As much as he wanted to whip out his sword and charge in along with his reckless, idiot boyfriend, he knew he could trust Shiro to handle that for him. He would cover their backs, stand beside Adam, and snipe down anyone who came near his family. He wouldn’t let anyone touch them, not when he had promised Pidge, Allura, and Matt that they would all be waiting for the rest of their space family to come home. Lance knocked his rifle against his shoulder and smirked, a flash of lightning crackling through his eyes as his feet kicked against the ground. No way he would let them down, even if this was the first time in the history of Voltron that their plan hadn’t been reviewed by Allura, even if Lance’s shoulders shook with tightness under his armor, even if he couldn’t protect his friends on the front lines.</p>
<p>It was the first time that solely Lance’s ideas were on the battleground, his orders supporting and guiding his family through the heart of enemy fire, his words as the only thing keeping his family alive. It was the first time Lance would be the one choosing who lived and who died.</p>
<p>	“…Then you’ve got to be kitten <i>me</i>,” finally grumbled Keith, the light of the tunnel marbling his blushing cheeks. “If you’re going to be punny, at least give me something hiss-terical.”</p>
<p>	Lance short-circuited. Shiro’s jaw came loose, and Adam’s eyes grew wide enough to swallow the sun, Hunk’s smug giggles resonating over the comms. Keith’s lips grew tight. Then Lance threw back his head and laughed, wild and free, louder than thunder and brighter than any star. Shiro nearly bent double, missing a few steps to high-five Adam as the two basically cheered along with Hunk. And, fingers intertwined with Keith’s, all Lance could know was that, good strategy or not, he had chosen the right family, for better or for worse. And that, more than any plan, decided those crucial moments on the battlefield.</p>
<p>	“Alright!” He cheered as the dirt slid into metal, locking eyes with each one of them; they had to hit the ground running, after all. “Hunk, get ready to engage, we’ve hit the garage! Okay, everyone, let’s finish this guy off once and for all!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Shiro flipped his bayard into his hand, a soothing blue glow joining the black flashes lighting up the tunnel. It spread over his fist, metal grooves clinking into place as the sleek, blue gauntlet settled onto his fingers like a second skin. He stretched out the metal, testing the pressure on his left hand, and relishing in the pressure of his fingers digging into the palm. He had always favored his right hand in fighting because most of his opponents would too, but not even decaphoebs of training could take away the strength and precision of his dominant left hand.</p>
<p>	“Nice to see you back on your game, Takashi,” teased Adam, his footsteps the only audible ones left in the tunnels, his light touch on Shiro’s shoulder melting the Blue Paladin as the ring clinked softly on his armor. “Hey…keep an eye on Keith in there for me, okay? I just got you two back; if either of you die, I’m going to have Allura bring you back to life just so I can beat you idiots up!”</p>
<p>	Shiro snorted, leaning over to press a tender kiss to Adam’s lips. They were so chapped now that Earth was coming into summer, maybe Lance would know where to find that lip balm Adam always needed……</p>
<p>	“I don’t think even she can bring people back from the dead,” he teased.</p>
<p>	“I wouldn’t put much past an Altean Princess if I were you, Takashi,” replied Adam, but his easy grin had slipped back on, one hand settling on his hip and a faint tilt to his head. “Especially one that’s learning to be an alchemist right now.”</p>
<p>	“Well then, it’s a good thing we’re not going to find out,” said Shiro, a laugh weaving its way into his words. “I’ve already lost enough bets with you to last a lifetime!”</p>
<p>	Adam snickered, shaking his head and returning the kiss, soft and slow as ever.</p>
<p>	“Eh, you already won a lifetime bet,” he murmured. “I was here when you came back, wasn’t I?”</p>
<p>	Shiro snorted.</p>
<p>	“Hardly,” he teased, squeezing Adam’s hand one final time as Keith moved towards the garage door, just enough that his fiance could feel the ring under paladin armor. “You came and found me.”</p>
<p>	And Shiro could still feel the faint pressure of Adam’s fingers on his own as he turned, purple leaking out of his right hand, and punched the hangar door off its hinges.</p>
<p>	Lance gave a disbelieving shriek, Adam groaned, and Keith pouted.</p>
<p>	“You’re going to make my swords rusty at this rate.”</p>
<p>	“Want to race then?”</p>
<p>	Lance joined Adam in a chorus of groans, but Keith’s eyes lit up like fireworks, a grin overtaking his face, and twin swords catching the Galaxy Headquarters’ light.</p>
<p>	“Oh, you are so on!”</p>
<p>	Shiro threw back his head and laughed, shoulders finally rolling free as he charged into the base with his little brother, Lance and Adam slipping down the opposite hallway to take over the control room, and an unbreakable trust keeping each pair of eyes locked forwards. They would protect each other, no matter the cost. So there was nothing to be afraid of.</p>
<p>	“Hunk, engage!” Shouted Lance, unloading lasers down the corridor as they turned, and the last thing Shiro saw of the two of them was Adam’s smile.</p>
<p>	Keith swallowed harshly.</p>
<p>	Shiro pressed a little closer to him. The anniversary of his father’s death was only a week away………</p>
<p>	“Keith?”</p>
<p>	“It’s okay, Shiro,” promised Keith, grip tight around his swords, and crystalline eyes fixed on the corridor in front of him. “I’m alright.”</p>
<p>	Shiro raised an eyebrow, never breaking stride as they tore through the base, the distant echo of laser fire raising hair on the back of their necks. But Keith just flashed him that renegade smile, the purple fang on his cheek curling at the motion, and eyes gleaming as they heard the thunder of Galran sentries coming towards them. “I’ve got you, don’t I?”</p>
<p> Shiro refused to acknowledge the burning in the back of his eyes, the way they widened, the pulse of agony that shot through him as he remembered his vow to stay on Earth when this was all over even though he <i>knew he knew Keith, he knew he would go back to space with everyone else—</i></p>
<p>“Always,” he swore. “And I’ve got you.”</p>
<p>He shoved Keith to the side as a laser shot between them, flashing his little brother a grin. “As many times as it takes for you to stay alive.”</p>
<p>Keith’s eyes turned sunshine bright, his swords rising as the sentries rounded the corner, and his feet planted to get a good shove for his charge. Then he shot Shiro an overflowing grin, confidence carved into every edge of his stance, and love spilling from his irises like a flood. Like an endless promise.</p>
<p>“Right back at you,” he murmured, slow as if he was tasting each letter, smile growing impossibly wider as he flew at their adversaries. “As many times as it takes!”</p>
<p>	Shiro smashed through one of the sentries, shadows of purple dancing behind his every movement as he tore into another one, slicing through the steel like it was nothing more than a straw dummy. He swept one off its feet, snatching the flailing body by its head and slamming it through two of the charging sentries. Keith’s blades flashed like twin lightning bolts, cleaving a robot in half and stabbing straight through another. He ran up the droid, slashing through its chest and leaping off to reign down a flurry of blows on the sentries, leaving a trail of sizzling limbs and crumpled metal in his wake.</p>
<p>	Shiro couldn’t remember a time he had felt this alive while fighting. Keith was blitzing the battlefield, a tornado of blades and armored strikes, and that hissing yellow filling up his eyes that Krolia had taught him for so many movements to control. He spun beneath a sentry, skewering it from behind, and meeting Shiro’s eyes for just a tick to flash him that volcanic smile he knew so well. Shiro’s heart felt like it could explode as he punched through a sentry’s face, throwing his battlefield smirk back at his little brother. Keith was a one-man army. He could take care of himself now. He was…for the first time since Shiro had met him, Keith seemed truly, genuinely, <i>okay</i>.</p>
<p>	For many people, being a paladin would probably have been a great burden, a painful responsibility that slowly tore up the world each and every one of them had created for themselves. <i>But</i>, Shiro reflected as he smashed a sentry into the wall, <i>maybe that means that the reason the Lions chose us wasn’t because we were the most qualified…</i></p>
<p>	“Shiro!” Screamed Keith, and the Blue Paladin hit the deck before his leader could get another word out.</p>
<p>A laser blazed above him, right where his head would have been, and Keith flung one of his swords at the attacker. Shiro shoved off the ground, and Keith dove after his sword, heedless of the sentries aiming for his back. He didn’t need to worry about them. Shiro smirked, raising his hand for a high-five as he passed his brother, and catching the little smile curving at his lips.</p>
<p>“Tag!”</p>
<p>Shiro cackled, lunging into a one-handed cartwheel down the hallway as the first sentry raised its gun, shifting to aim at Keith. </p>
<p>
  <i>…Maybe they chose us because they knew that, deep down, we needed to be Paladins just as much as they needed to be Voltron.</i>
</p>
<p>Shiro drove an uppercut into the blaster, metal shattering under his bayard’s force, and spun a kick into the sentry’s chest. He tore the metallic head off, slinging it into another droid’s face, and relishing in the ringing screech of Keith’s swords ripping robots apart behind him.</p>
<p>“<i>Keith, Shiro! We made it to the control room!</i>” Called Lance through their comms. “<i>Doors are sealed, and locks have been changed; you can advance further into the base!</i>”</p>
<p>“Copy that!” Replied Keith. “How’s the crowd there?”</p>
<p>“<i>Loud, but not worse than your snores</i>,” teased Lance, drawing an audible snicker from Adam. “<i>Don’t worry about us, Samurai. Just handle that missing kitty for us, okay?</i>”</p>
<p>Keith grinned, cutting down another sentry and driving his sword into a third’s stomach.</p>
<p>“Okay, Sharpshooter.”</p>
<p>Shiro smiled, brushing his glowing fingers along the blue bayard. Lance would never truly know the footsteps he had given Shiro to fill, would he? This was his bayard that Shiro held, touched by Allura, and this was his armor that Shiro had to grow into. And Shiro would never be like Lance, he would never be the Blue Paladin like Lance or Allura had; he was his own Paladin. He always had been.</p>
<p>And, whether he hung up the helmet or not, he would always be a Paladin.</p>
<p>Shiro slashed through the final sentry’s circuitry, spinning to smirk at Keith.</p>
<p>“Ready?”</p>
<p>Keith snickered, snapping his swords free of wires, and cocked his head at Shiro.</p>
<p>“Is that even a question?”</p>
<p>Shiro barked out a laugh and stepped aside, bowing as he gestured towards the door with a teasing formality.</p>
<p>“Well then, fearless leader, press onwards.”</p>
<p>Keith slashed the door open, eyes snapping to a sharp yellow as the rubble fell away, and scar rippling with a faint purple glow.</p>
<p>“If the damsel insists,” he teased, clasping Shiro’s hand and yanking him to his feet. “Let’s tear this sucker apart!”</p>
<p>Shiro pulled Keith away from the lasers tearing down the hall, and raised an eyebrow. “As long as you’re not the sucker, I’m fine with this arrangement.”</p>
<p>“Really, Shiro? Really?”</p>
<p>“Yep!” Replied Shiro, popping the p like Lance had taught him, and relishing in the whoop from Lance through the comms. “Now, let’s go! Whoever beats the most sentries gets to dye the other’s hair!”</p>
<p>“Three-two-GO!”</p>
<p>Shiro cried out in protest as Keith dashed into the room, swords raised and eyes flashing with a fierce golden light he never would have thought would protect him one day instead of torture him. Keith always managed to surprise him.</p>
<p>“Get back here!” Complained Shiro, spearing the nearest sentry with his fist and hurling it into another attacker. “You skipped one!”</p>
<p>“And you’ve skipped eight that I got!” Retorted Keith, laughing as his whirlwind of swords wreaked havoc through the room. “You snooze, you lose!”</p>
<p>Well, apparently these guards had slept far too late then, because Shiro barely needed more than one hit to knock them out of commission. Had they always been this lightweight?</p>
<p>Keith whooped as he leapt off one’s shoulders, cleaving his sword through two’s heads, and dropping to sweep another off its feet. His eyes shone like a cat’s, and Lance’s cheers reverberated through the comms along with the occasional encouragement from Adam between typing, and Shiro smashed two robotic heads together. It hadn’t taken more than five dobashes for the room to be almost clear, Keith’s swords tearing limbs off and Shiro catching them to use as ammunition against other sentries. They tore through the crowds, tossing out numbers back and forth, and Shiro even flung a spare head into one of the sentries Keith was going for.</p>
<p>“Hey! That was going to be my kill!” Complained Keith, pouting as he gutted another sentry.</p>
<p>“As a great, wise man once said: you snooze, you lose.”</p>
<p>Keith stuck out his tongue and decapitated another sentry, distinctly hurling the head as far away from Shiro as he could. Geez, his competitions with Lance had really improved his aim. Shiro spun, cracking a sentry in half with his bayard, and knife-handing another through the back of the neck. It crumpled under the strike, and Keith flung a sword over Shiro’s shoulder. Shiro smirked at him.</p>
<p>“Now who’s stealing kills?”</p>
<p>Keith just smirked, stabbing a robot behind him without glancing over. They were <i>really</i> loud, no way they could sneak up on anyone.</p>
<p>“It’s called repaying the favor.”</p>
<p>Shiro punched a sentry through the chest, spinning and taking out another’s legs, and slammed his bayard into the final attacker’s head. It dropped with a sizzling <i>CLUNK</i>, and Keith embedded his sword in the last straggler’s neck. Jerking it out, he smirked at Shiro.</p>
<p>“Alright, now that we’ve warmed up,” he joked. “Ready to take on Sendak?”</p>
<p>Maybe the sentries were as powerful as ever, still just as strong as when the paladins were just getting used to their bayards……</p>
<p>“Always,” replied Shiro, ruffling Keith’s hair. “Also, forty.”</p>
<p>“Ha! Forty-three! You’re getting dyed as soon as we get back!”</p>
<p>“<i>Oh my god, bright pink, do it for me Keith.</i>”</p>
<p>“<i>No, white! Make him look like the old man he is</i>.”</p>
<p>	“You guuuys,” groaned Shiro, even as a smile pulled at his lips.</p>
<p>	Maybe the sentries were actually just as strong as they used to be, but the paladins weren’t. They had fought and bit and kicked and screamed their way to strength, to precision, to force and speed. They had become more powerful than any army could hope to be.</p>
<p>	“So, the Champion arrives at last,” snarled Sendak as the doors slid open, and Shiro stepped in front of Keith automatically. “I thought you might never show up.”</p>
<p>	“More like you wished,” replied Shiro, his bayard flaring up a hissing blue, and his lion’s protective growls flowing through him like a river. “Keith, you clean out the rest of the base; we can’t have anyone interfering.”</p>
<p><i>With Lance and Adam.</i> The unspoken words rang clearly between the brothers, and Keith’s lips curled back to bare gleaming fangs at Sendak. He snapped a terse nod at Shiro, spinning and dashing for the door.</p>
<p>“Don’t you dare lose!” He shouted over his shoulder, and Shiro slid into his fighting stance, blocking his brother’s retreat and eyes never once leaving Sendak’s.</p>
<p>“No worries. I think I can handle our little missing kitty here.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
<p>Me (last night): Oh yeah, my partner really needs to go to sleep and, like, three people will read this before I'm up, it won't be a problem if I finish in the morning....<br/>Me (this morning): 81 VIEWS WHAT THE SHI--</p>
<p>Seriously, thanks y'all!! I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this!!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Just a Drop</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Acxa landed with a hand on her gun and the other in Allura’s, her eyes flickering over the landscape suspiciously as her princess removed both of their helmets gently, placing them on Red’s paw.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Allura hopped out of Red, boots hitting the ground with a reassuring <i>THUD</i> before she reached up to help Acxa down.</p>
<p>	“It seems stable,” she promised, twining their fingers as Acxa leapt from Red, “and the fire does not reach this far. According to Red’s readings, there is even air within. Maybe your wind following would have worked after all.”</p>
<p>	Acxa rolled her eyes, a smile light on her lips though as she squeezed Allura’s hand.</p>
<p>	“Please, only your quintessence following would have found that stupid route. Astral plane levels of insanity is the only reason we’re here.”</p>
<p>	Allura laughed, shaking her head lightly as she patted Red, who was still purring because <i>I showed that puny gate <b>fire power!</b></i></p>
<p>	Acxa landed with a hand on her gun and the other in Allura’s, her eyes flickering over the landscape suspiciously as her princess removed both of their helmets gently, placing them on Red’s paw.</p>
<p>	“This doesn’t make sense though,” Acxa muttered, glaring at the fire raging all around them. “We are only halfway through the gate from the look of it; the flames should be consuming everything here, and fire drinks up air. By all logic, we can’t breathe.”</p>
<p>	“Since when does alchemy follow logic?” Teased Allura, shaking her head as she marvelled at the way the flames rolled around the asteroid, the red light merging with the golden quintessence trail running across the surface of the rock. “Excellent, the trail was not mistaken! This way!” She called, catching Acxa’s hand and spinning with a smile that outshone the flames raging around them. “I cannot wait to explore Oriande with you!”</p>
<p>	Acxa couldn’t stop the smile from spreading like wildfire over her own face, laughter trailing behind them as they raced along the asteroid’s quintessence trail. It was simultaneously more normal than she had ever dreamed of and far more insane than she would have thought possible, but it was everything Acxa could ever want because Allura was there with her. So, no matter what they faced next, they would get past it together. They would win this war and the larger one at their doorstep.</p>
<p>	And, maybe, when it was over…</p>
<p>	Acxa tightened her grip, speeding up to run alongside Allura, eyes catching the light off the flames as she threw her head back with a whoop of laughter. And if her old hairpieces were blown off, abandoned to bounce against the rocks, letting her hair fly free, she only watched them go with a smile. They may have been all she thought she was worthy of for decaphoebs, of scorn and disdain, but if Lotor, Ezor, Zethrid, Narti, Voltron, and, most of all, Allura thought she deserved more…</p>
<p>	Then maybe it was time for her to take some pride in herself.</p>
<p>	So she dashed onwards, tearing through all the <i>you’re-not-good-enough</i>s, through the <i>acting-high-and-mighty</i>s, through the <i>taking-advantage-of-the-prince</i>s, through every voice, every shout, everyone who had ever turned and given her a <i>you’re-useless, you’re-a-failure, you-can’t, you’re-in-the-way, you’re-a-disgrace, you’re-a-waste-of-space, you-don’t-belong-in-this-place, you’re-never-going-to-make it out</i>, and, <i>you’re-just-lucky</i>. Acxa leapt through the air and smashed through them, splintered pieces of their condemnation raining down on the asteroid they had found, abandoned to be forgotten because lies weren’t worth remembering. But the truths of her friends—of her <i>family</i>—those should be prized above all else. After all, she prized them above all else. And there was one in particular that she wanted more than anything to express how much she adored.</p>
<p>Acxa pulled Allura to a stop, cupping her princess’ cheek, and kissed the girl that she loved more than she had ever thought possible. Her lips were unbearably soft, just slightly chapped, and as warm as the heartbeat matching her own. Their noses brushed, Allura’s hand sliding along Acxa’s back to steady her, and the world melted away. It was just them, just two girls who loved each other more than any fairy tale could even conceive. It was just Acxa and Allura. No generals, no princesses, no Galrans or Alteans, no war or alchemy, just <i>them</i>.</p>
<p>No wonder it was perfect.</p>
<p>“I love you, Allura,” breathed Acxa, tears pricking her eyes as she pulled her princess into a hug. “I love you with all my heart.”</p>
<p>Allura squeezed her so tight her bones rattled, burying her face in Acxa’s shoulder and letting out a shaky exhale.</p>
<p>“I love you too. More than I have words for.”</p>
<p>	That was fine by Acxa; those few words were more than enough. Any more and she would cry.</p>
<p>	“Shall we get back to finding that entrance?”</p>
<p>	“Mmmhmmmmmm.”</p>
<p>	“…Five more dobashes?”</p>
<p>	“Mmmmmmhmmm.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“…I don’t recall fire being the core element of Altea; I thought it was wind,” managed Acxa, staring at the tiny gate of flames blocking off the entrance to a cave just big enough for the two of them. “Was it a big ceremonial thing?”</p>
<p>	“No,” replied Allura, rubbing her forehead as she glared at the flames mocking her once again. “No, you are right about our core element, and our ceremonies reflected that. However, the quintessence trail ends here. It is not offering me any sort of path through the flames,” she admitted with a faint growl. “I am not sure how we are supposed to get past.”</p>
<p>	“Well, are they real flames?” Asked Acxa, stepping towards the mini inferno between them and the cave. “I like to make sure flames are real before being scared of them; illusions are most common in alchemy from my understanding of it.”</p>
<p>	Allura tightened her grip on Acxa’s hand.</p>
<p>	“And how do you propose we test—”</p>
<p>	Acxa stuck her hand into the fire. Allura shrieked, eyes flashing with the destruction of Altea, the fire that had burnt away her friends and family, the thing that had taken so much from her, that was now <i>on her loved one’s hand! Willingly!</i> Acxa didn’t blink as the flames spread to her glove with a fury, licking over the fabric and dissolving it even after the general pulled it out, staring at it for a tick before dumping a water canteen over it.</p>
<p>	“Definitely genuine fire; illusions can’t spread past the space they are created for,” she stated, capping the canteen and sliding it back into her bag. “Now, as for how to get past it—”</p>
<p>	“What sort of test was that?!” Cried Allura, snatching Acxa’s wrist and jerking it over to her, lips contorted in pure rage. “There were plenty of ways we could have accomplished that without putting your physical wellbeing at risk! Why on Altea or Daibazaal would you do that?!”</p>
<p>	Acxa blinked, transfixed by Allura’s wrath as her princess inspected the burns rapidly healing on her skin, crystalline eyes glowing with tears. “You cannot just throw yourself in the line of fire and expect everyone to be fine with that! You matter more than that, Acxa!”</p>
<p>	“Allura, fire doesn’t do more than sting me,” replied Acxa with a soft chuckle as the last of the burns melted off her skin. “I am only half-Galra, remember? I am also half-Tevanian; we are immune to the pain of fire and any long-term effects from it. You need not worry, I would never have done that if it had left me with only one hand to help you with. After all,” she added, brushing a hand along Allura’s cheek with a tender smile, “I need one hand to hold yours while the other fights alongside you.”</p>
<p>Allura let out a breathless, hitching laugh, and pressed a kiss to the formerly burned hand as a single tear fell against the skin.</p>
<p>“Thank Altea,” she murmured, nuzzling her cheek into Acxa’s palm. “So, the fire isn’t an illusion?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” said Allura, squeezing Acxa’s hands as she glanced around. “Well, I am sure we are simply missing something. Perhaps there is a clue somewhere? An alchemical secret I need to unlock, a pattern in the flames, or a code? Or,” she burst out, a grin exploding across her face and into her eyes like fireworks. “This planet seems rather well-protected against fire, wouldn’t you say?”</p>
<p>Acxa grinned, glancing at the flames leaping around them, never once touching them, encircling the asteroid as if the fire was cradling it.</p>
<p>“Yes, but I thought you said alchemy didn’t follow logic,” she replied, smile dropping. “How are we to figure out a solution that is devoid of logic?”</p>
<p>“This asteroid has the solution; we just need to find it,” insisted Allura, flexing her fingers as she eyed the rocks beneath her feet; they seemed strangely familiar.</p>
<p>She pursed her lips, kneeling beside the flicker of blue that had caught her eye and running her fingers over it to clear away the dirt. Acxa was beside her in a tick, her claws making short work of the dirt, throwing it to the side in a cloud of dust as she gave Allura a deep nod. Allura’s heart quickened, and she flashed her love a grateful smile as she pressed her palm to the blue crystals just barely hidden beneath the layer of dust covering the asteroid. Because, no questions asked, Acxa would always support Allura. And Allura refused to let her down.</p>
<p>The crystals lit up an ocean blue under her touch, flashes of light filling the void around them, and Allura’s Altean marks blossomed into an orchid pink as it blended with the light. Acxa sat, bewitched by the glow spreading across the asteroid, and Allura smiled softly.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she murmured, closing her eyes and bowing her head until the crown of her forehead touched the dirt.</p>
<p>A wave of blue exploded out from her forehead, washing over the asteroid as Acxa gaped and Allura smiled. She would recognize the energy of the Balmera anywhere. And while she didn’t have the Castle of Lions here to amplify her strength, the asteroid was barely one-fifth the size of the Balmera, so her own quintessence should suffice. She forced her palms to stay light on the surface of the asteroid, pumping energy through her fingertips as it branched out across the rocks, coating each with a faint blue glow as the crystals reacted to her faint graze. She didn’t need to hold the stream, after all. She got plenty of water with just a tap.</p>
<p>Allura could practically feel the streams of it weaving around her, glowing a bright blue as they swam through the rocks, dancing across crystals and racing back home, home, home, <i>home</i>. Just like the streams of Altea. Allura bit back tears as her mother’s words washed over her, flashes of matching purple dresses, white flower crowns, and the royal gardens flickering behind her eyes.</p>
<p>
  <i> “You don’t have to hold the stream, Ally,” said her mother with a laugh, tucking a wave behind Allura’s ear. “Just reach out and tap it. You’ll get plenty of water.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	The tiny girl blinked in confusion, cocking her head before giving up and giggling. Silly mother, there was never enough water. She laughed, plunging both hands into the water with an echoing SPLASH, spraying her mother and herself with tiny droplets. Then she threw her head back and laughed even harder, whooping with delight. Her mother just sighed and shook her head, smiling indulgently at the tiny girl.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Oh, alright,” she said, trailing a finger in the waves caused by her daughter. “Just be careful not to fall in, Allura.”</i>
</p>
<p>	“I will not fall, mother.”</p>
<p>The crystals pulsed under the asteroid, veins of precious stone cutting through the thick slabs of rock that shielded them from the flames, that protected them, that made up the core of the asteroid that was their home, that had been carved solely to keep them safe. Allura’s forehead grew cold against the crystal, her eyes shut resolutely, and her fingers trembled as light bloomed across the asteroid. Crystal tunnels flashed behind her eyelids, a trail of light sparkling through the heart of the rocks, setting the core of the asteroid ablaze in an oceanic glow that bled into the carving imprinting itself into Allura’s mind. A rippling shield, a shining set of fiery squiggles, and a blocky V underneath two short, horizontal lines linked with a vertical one, all three carved so deep into the asteroid that Allura felt dizzy at just the glance, each symbol pulsing with unfathomable power.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” breathed Allura again, drawing her fingers from the dust with a final press of her forehead to the dirt as the quintessence flowed back into her. “I will honor this knowledge.”</p>
<p>Acxa knelt nearby, one knee raised and her gun out, eyes flicking over the asteroid’s surface with the faintest yellow glow in case anything decided to sneak up on them. Her shoulders were high in warning, teeth slightly gritted and power lining every curve of her body. Allura smiled gently as she rose, scuffing her boots pointedly in the dirt, and Acxa’s tight mouth eased slightly at the sound.</p>
<p>“I believe I have the solution,” admitted Allura, kneeling beside Acxa to trace the symbols she had seen in the dirt. “But I do not understand it. I mean, I know that this is fire, and this is shield,” she added, gesturing to the first two symbols before tapping the final set of squiggles, “but I haven’t the faintest clue what this means. It looks perhaps like a palace?”</p>
<p>Acxa’s eyes raked over the drawings scratched into the asteroid, her gun still cocked as she gave the terrain a final scan. Her lips pulled up into a smile.</p>
<p>“Or maybe it is a reference to some ancient planet? I guess, if we turned it a bit, it looks kind of like our word for riches, or maybe flight? Or do you think it is a rune that activates Altean alchemy?” Rattled Allura, tugging at her ear as her markings wrinkled in thought. “Perhaps there is another language for Altean alchemy altogether, and this is one of their keystone words?”</p>
<p>“It’s rocks, Allura,” Acxa said gently, a nostalgic tinge to her eyes with the faintest shine of pain. “It’s a drawing of rocks. That’s…that’s street code from Ularian, where I grew up. It’s the one we used to talk about caves with because it was drawn all over them along with suns and what I only came to understand later were lions. I believe you’ve been there,” she added with a faint smile, spinning her gun back to its holster, “home of the Yellow Lion and all.”</p>
<p>Allura’s eyes widened, a breath catching in her throat, and her eyes shot away.</p>
<p>“No, not recently,” she admitted. “I sent only Hunk and Lance to retrieve the Yellow Lion. I had to find the Red Lion at the time before the Galra Empire attacked Arus and, by the time we were ready to lift off and rescue planets, Ularian had already been liberated by the rebels.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” replied Acxa, biting her lip and looking down. “That makes sense. Well, it’s extremely mountainous and is a massive mining gem for the Empire. Most of us spend our time underground, so we were rather familiar with those symbols.”</p>
<p>Allura smiled, taking Acxa’s hand gently and kissing her knuckles.</p>
<p>“It sounds like a very strong and steady community,” she replied, her markings giving off a faint glow. “You’ll have to take me there sometime.”</p>
<p>Acxa chuckled, tracing a finger around the symbols, and squeezed Allura’s hand, one eyebrow raising as she smirked.</p>
<p>“Not an ideal honeymoon spot,” she teased, savoring the frantic flashing of her love’s markings and the spluttered protests spilling from Allura’s lips, “but I’d be more than happy to show you around.”</p>
<p>Allura’s face lit up brighter than the flames bombarding the asteroid around them, and she turned back to the symbols with a ferocity shimmering in her eyes that almost seemed to make the drawings glow. Acxa grinned, pressing a kiss to Allura’s cheek and turning back to the drawings.</p>
<p>“You can do it, love,” she murmured. “I believe in you.”</p>
<p>Allura took a deep breath, nodding, and traced the symbols with her finger once again, letting the thoughts spill from her lips as they came into her head like Lance used to do.<br/>“Well, these symbols seem to directly translate to shield-fire-earth, and it is clearly an alchemical enchantment. From what you said about the caves,” she continued, dropping a kiss on Acxa’s cheek, “we can guarantee it is ancient Altean. That means that it is closer to meaning ‘earth is fire shield’ since our subjects go at the start of our sentence.”</p>
<p>She bit her lip, frowning as she studied the fire symbol. It reminded her of something…something she should know like the back of her hand, like her own breath, like her heartbeat, like her <i>own mind—</i></p>
<p>Red giggled, tail flicking over Allura’s face as she circled through her mind. She rumbled low in her throat, curling up around her paladin’s feet and purring contentedly as Allura bent to scratch under her chin. Red was endlessly itchy under there and across her back.</p>
<p>	“<i>What is it, girl?</i>” Murmured Allura, spinning lazy circles over to Red’s back with one hand while the other attended to her Lion’s neck. “<i>Why do I know these symbols?</i>”</p>
<p>	Red just purred, batting at Allura’s hands as she reached her back, and rolled over until her soft underbelly was tangled in Allura’s fingers. She turned glittering golden eyes on Allura as if in challenge, and her paladin’s shoulders rose to the dare instantaneously. Allura rubbed her fingers along Red’s belly, the symbols still flashing behind her eyes, and Red purred as her paladin’s hands rubbed along her stomach, whiskers flicking Allura’s cheek slightly. Allura sighed, cracking her neck to the side as she let her eyes drift over her Lion’s pure white stomach, over her tail, flicking like a little flame dancing through the air…</p>
<p>	Allura jerked back to her own body with a sharp intake of breath, Red’s fur vanishing from under her fingers to be replaced with the symbols suddenly so clear to her in the ground.</p>
<p>	“Earth is fire’s shield,” murmured Allura, Altean marks glowing a searing white that had nothing on her eyes as she continued talking. “Earth is fire’s shield! That’s it! Alchemy <i>does</i> have logic! It has a system, a set of fundamentals and rules!”</p>
<p>	Acxa raised an eyebrow as Allura dug her finger into the ground, swirling in the Black Lion’s symbol alongside Red’s fire and Yellow’s earth. She arched Green’s arrow into the ground, curved Blue’s lines through the dirt with a soft smile of homecoming, and turned to Acxa with a pure sunshine smile and a half-hysterical laugh.</p>
<p>	“They’re all connected, just like the Lions,” insisted Allura, drawing an arrow from earth to fire. “Earth is fire’s shield; it can deflect fire, just like what we’re seeing here. The spell we saw didn’t give these rocks the power to deflect fire; it just enhanced their natural ability to do that by creating a barrier around them! The spell is set up just like a sentence: shield is what must be done, fire is what that is being done upon, and earth is what is doing. That means that earth is strong to fire, which makes sense, because Yellow is the one Lion whose defenses can withstand Red’s attacks,” continued Allura, drawing an arrow from fire to Green’s plants, “but Red’s fire is strongest against Green’s weaker defenses because she is the only one who can catch Green. In contrast, Green’s speed outclasses Blue’s and puts her at a disadvantage,” theorized Allura, drawing an arrow from plants to Blue’s water, “while Blue is the only Lion whose pinpoint accuracy can disable Black’s defenses, and she is fast enough to catch them. But Black,” added Allura, drawing one arrow from the water to Black’s air, “is the only one whose attacks are too strong for Yellow to withstand. Every element has a weakness that is another one’s strength, and every single one of them has a strength that is another’s weakness,” she finished, a faint rasp in her voice by the end.</p>
<p>	She glanced up at Acxa, gesturing to her web of element weaknesses and strengths with a flushed grin. “It’s just like the paladins themselves!” She insisted, writing down their names and cackling as she remembered the way she had once nearly despaired at the dysfunctional level of insanity that their team had once possessed. “Hunk got along with Keith amazingly even from the beginning because he could get Keith to lower his guard, but Keith and Pidge struggled for a time because she couldn’t stand that there was someone who would fight with her regardless of her prowess because he had just as much talent and dedication. Pidge is able to figure out counterarguments so quickly that Lance is left defenseless in debates, but his quick wit always throws Shiro off his game and allows Lance to win a laugh and usually a couple of points from him. And, from the start, Shiro was the only one who could make Hunk back down from even his strongest of instincts because of Shiro’s sound logic.</p>
<p>“Back then, they all saw each other’s weaknesses and covered for them, only bringing them out when they were seeking victory. Now, though,” she added with a soft smile, pressing her palm into the center of the symbols, “now we have grown together. We have taught each other how to cover our own weaknesses with our strengths, how to bring out each other’s best, and how to rise to the challenge as a united front of equals. We are not just teammates or companions or the Paladins of Voltron or even friends; we are so much more than that,” she stated, standing and dusting off her hands as she reached out to Acxa. “We are family.”</p>
<p>Acxa caught her princess’s wrist, and Allura’s strong fingers yanked her to her feet as she grinned. “The elements, though?  Those have never grown. So if we enhance one of them, another becomes weaker. It is all about equivalent exchange, just as Shiro joked when I first told him about Oriande,” she continued to practically squeal as she dashed back towards the smaller gate of flames, “except it is not about what is put in coming back out! It is about what is given to one force being taken from another. We can mold the flow of energy, but that means that if we divert the flow into one spot, then it will take that away from another! So we must only nudge the flow of quintessence, nothing more. A tap is more than enough,” she said, nearly laughing as she pulled up right in front of the cave entrance with a fresh spark in her eyes. “More than that, and we might fall in.”</p>
<p>Acxa rammed into Allura’s back, bouncing off with a little giggle as she squeezed Allura’s hand, her face practically aglow under her angel’s enthusiastic fire. It was like she had finally found what she was born to do.</p>
<p>“You’ve got this, Ally,” she said, snapping a knife from her gauntlet and passing it gingerly to her princess with a soft smile. “May I present the esteemed and upcoming alchemist with her writing utensil?”</p>
<p>Allura giggled, bowing as she accepted the knife before holding it like a pen above the ground just to hear her love erupt in a torrent of laughter. Then she pulled a marker from her pocket that Nadia and Sylvio had given her when she left (“for good luck!” Insisted Sylvio, a faint pout to his lip as his Tía Allura got ready to board the ship. “It’s my favorite marker!”) and pressed the pink tip to the dagger.</p>
<p>“The rocks that this was made from should react to this, theoretically,” she said, holding up the luxite blade with a battle grin and squeezing Acxa’s hand tightly, “and it should serve as a suitable counterspell. Shall we try it?”</p>
<p>Acxa beamed, intertwining their fingers, and holding them up in one fist that, combined, could break through anything.</p>
<p>“No time like the present.”</p>
<p>Allura stepped forward, flipping the dagger into the air and pressing a kiss to Acxa’s lips before she caught the hilt and slashed through the gate of flames locking them away from Oriande in a single motion.</p>
<p>The flames sputtered against the blade, hissing away from the runes as they glowed a stinging yellow, and Allura let out a whoop as a line of the darkness beyond broke through the wall of fire. She cut out a square in the flames, spinning to throw a glowing smile at Acxa as the entrance to Oriande opened up in front of them. Allura twirled Acxa with a breathless laugh, dipping her before pulling her into another soft kiss. She would never get used to getting to kiss Acxa whenever she wanted.</p>
<p>“And this is yours, I believe,” said Allura, pressing the Blade of Marmora knife into Acxa’s hand with a soft smile. “Thank you so much, Acxa.”</p>
<p>“Anytime, Allura,” murmured Acxa, a dreamy glow to her eyes that nearly put Allura into cardiac arrest. “Anytime.”</p>
<p>And, hand-in-hand, the two future queens leapt beyond the flames and into Oriande. Right into the jaws of a very large, very angry, and very distinctly glowing white lion spirit.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. “Your Part in the War is Over. And Soon, Mine Will Be Too” — Takashi Shirogane</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Shiro’s feet screeched against the ground as he skidded free of the explosion, his fist lighting up a searing purple as he snatched a helmet from the air and flung it towards Sendak with a snap of his wrist. Sendak jerked his head just barely out of the way, the steel of the visor slicing a line of blood into his cheek, and Shiro felt his bayard flare as he flew at the Commander. He could still taste it in his mouth, the dust tinged with blood from that first explosion aboard the Castle of Lions. The first time he had to carry one of his friends’ nearly lifeless bodies, the first time he had stood between death and his family. For all that Zarkon had begun the war 10,000 decaphoebs ago, Sendak was the one who brought that war to Voltron—to Shiro.</p>
<p>He had been their first real enemy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Okay, guys, I’ve cleared the sky,” called Hunk, circling over the base as Yellow pranced proudly through his mind. “Moving into emergency extraction position…now.”</p>
<p>	Yellow settled beside the base, claws digging grooves into the ground, and Hunk blew out a long breath. “How are you guys doing in there?”</p>
<p>	“<i>Peachy,</i>” grunted Keith, metal splintering through the comm, and the faint ring of Keith’s sword ripping steel apart. “<i>Shiro found Sendak; he’s engaging him right now. I’m going to empty the base. Lance, Adam, how are you holding up?</i>”</p>
<p>	“<i>Could be better!</i>” Replied Lance, blaster fire thundering into Hunk’s ear and drawing a shriek from him as he toppled out of the seat; since when had Lance muted his microphone? “<i>We have some unexpected visitors! I’ve got them under control but, if you could wind your way back once you’ve cleared the second floor, that would be dazzling!</i>”</p>
<p>“<i>Copy that!</i>”</p>
<p>	Hunk cocked his head.</p>
<p>	“You guys want me in there?”</p>
<p>	“<i>No, stay where you are!</i>” Yelled Lance, the lasers growing almost deafening. “<i>We don’t know if they’ve installed barriers here, or if they go underground like the Castle of Lions’ did! We need you out there, buddy!</i>”</p>
<p>	“<i>Okay, comms off!</i>” Shouted Keith. “<i>Shiro’s in the middle of a fight, and he always leaves his on!</i>”</p>
<p>	Hunk nearly screeched, jerking off the floor and fumbling for his microphone.</p>
<p>	“Sorry, Shiro!” He cried. “Muting now!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Shiro bit back a laugh as the noises drowning out the clangs of his own battle cut off abruptly. He was going to buy Keith a whole pack of donuts when this was over.</p>
<p>	“Where do you think you’re going, pitiful human?”</p>
<p>	And when he had knocked Sendak’s arm off. The arm with distinctly sharp claws whipping towards him as he dove behind a pile of armor a split tick before it erupted into a spray of shrapnel, hissing purple energy with just the faintest tinge of black electricity crackling along its tips. Yeah, that arm.</p>
<p>Shiro’s feet screeched against the ground as he skidded free of the explosion, his fist lighting up a searing purple as he snatched a helmet from the air and flung it towards Sendak with a snap of his wrist. Sendak jerked his head just barely out of the way, the steel of the visor slicing a line of blood into his cheek, and Shiro felt his bayard flare as he flew at the Commander. He could still taste it in his mouth, the dust tinged with blood from that first explosion aboard the Castle of Lions. The first time he had to carry one of his friends’ nearly lifeless bodies, the first time he had stood between death and his family. For all that Zarkon had begun the war 10,000 decaphoebs ago, Sendak was the one who brought that war to Voltron—to Shiro.</p>
<p>He had been their first real enemy.</p>
<p>Shiro smashed his bayard into Sendak’s cheek, snapping his head to the side, and spun to slam a kick into the commander’s stomach. Sendak staggered back, spitting blood into Shiro’s eye (<i>rude</i>, tutted a voice that sounded suspiciously like Lance’s in his head), and jerking his prosthetic arm back to his side. It spun, trying to claw Shiro en route, and the crackle of corrupted quintessence drew all the hairs on his neck into spikes. He spun, his arm glowing a shrieking white as he hurled it into the attacking fist, the air sucking into a whirlwind around his fingers, and whistling in his ears as the two strikes collided. Shiro’s teeth snapped against one another.</p>
<p> 	The strike was blasted back, blowing Sendak onto one foot, and Shiro tore through the distance remaining between them. He ducked under Sendak’s strike, searing through the commander’s armor with a single strike, and driving his bayard into the crack with a roar. Sendak snarled, ears twitching in pain at the strike, and cracked his fist against Shiro’s nose. Spots flooded his vision and Shiro reeled back, one arm raised in a vague guard as his feet fought for ground. Sendak let out a triumphant growl, blasting a kick into Shiro’s head and throwing the Blue Paladin across the room. Bells crashed into his ears in a cacophony of howls, and Shiro bit back a shout as he rolled out, skidding to an unsteady stop. Sweat bit at his cheeks, and his hair was stabbing into his eyes as he sucked in a desperate gulp for air.</p>
<p>	“Remember, Champion,” mocked Sendak, the sickening whir of his arm flashing memories of the arena before Shiro’s eyes, “the latest model will always beat out the defective, older one.”</p>
<p>	Shiro groaned, raising a crooked smile as his eyes gleamed in the low light, Blue’s protective growls surging through him like a bolt of lightning. He could feel her claws digging into the astral plane, her fur standing on end as she roared a challenge at the commander, her tail lashing at the air furiously. He could feel her heart pounding in time with his, her quintessence flooding through his veins just like it had always meant to, and his smile drew up sharper than a knife’s edge.</p>
<p>	“God, not you too. Listen up,” he snapped, lurching into a fighting stance as a Lion snarled in his shadow, “the only ones who get to call me old are my space kids!”</p>
<p>	Sendak roared, flinging his arm towards Shiro in a tornado of claws and quintessent rage. Shiro turned and dashed up the wall, boots kicking against the concrete and launching him in a smirking arc over Sendak’s head, jetpack flaring to life at a touch. Sendak’s claws ripped into the wall, catching on the rubble, and a growl tore from his throat as he wrenched at the rocks. Shiro grinned as Blue gave a smug meowl when he landed, light as a panther, ready to pounce. He couldn’t let his guard down. It had taken the whole team to trap Sendak once, and there would not be a second time.</p>
<p>	Shiro’s bayard gave a sharp pulse against his knuckles, and Blue’s shout rang out like a bell in his ears. He snapped his arm up into a guard just a tick before Sendak’s kick rammed into it with a <i>CLANG</i>, leaving a flurry of vibrations to stab up and down Shiro’s arm. His feet bit into the ground, and Shiro felt that brush of Allura’s hands on his ankle from just a few quintants before they were going to land on Earth, the last one-on-one training session the two had time for……</p>
<p>	Shiro’s fingers clamped onto Sendak’s ankle in a vice grip, and he twisted it upwards, catapulting himself off the ground and charging for the Galran commander with a guttural battle cry. Because, as much as Sendak was a great threat to the universe, Shiro’s wrath couldn’t help but flare more at the injuries this alien had caused his family. This was the Commander who had stolen Adam’s ring from him in the arena, whose explosion had nearly killed Lance and Coran just a few quintants into their mission, who had forced Allura to shatter the last tie she had to her father, who had come within ticks of throwing his entire family into a supernova, who had supported Zarkon after the scumbag should have died. Sendak was one of the biggest reasons the war wasn’t over yet.</p>
<p>He was the reason Lance had been forced to hug his kids goodbye that morning without the chance to come out to them, clutching both close as if trying to hold all of their fear and sorrow, to steal it away with him when he left, hands shaking as he kissed their foreheads and reminded him how much he loved them. Sendak was the reason Keith had swept Nadia and Sylvio into a quick, tight hug, promising softly to sing them to sleep that night, his eyes fixed on Shiro’s to protect the kids from the rain threatening to flood free from them. He was the reason Allura had cried before she left, clinging to her family and murmuring an Altean prayer for safety, the reason her shoulders were so tight under her armor as she stepped into Red. He was why Hunk needed to sneak out of his house that morning, because he had admitted with tears staining each word that his little siblings probably would never have let him leave if they could hold their Big Bear. Sendak, stupid stupid Sendak, was why Shiro’s mother had bit back sobs as she saw him off, playing fondly with his hair floof like she always did when she didn’t want him to see how much her lips were trembling. He was why Adam was in this base right now, putting his life on the line to try and protect his family, to protect their futures, to protect <i>Shiro</i> because “<i>I already lost you once, Takashi. I’m not letting you go that easily.</i>”</p>
<p>
  <i>Commander Quiznaking Sendak was the reason his family was still suffering.</i>
</p>
<p>Sendak tumbled over backwards with an enraged shout, his knee snapping close in a desperate attempt to keep his balance as his leg was thrown towards him, and Shiro leapt at the commander, fist already glowing almost as sharply as his own roar. There was no way he was letting Sendak get away with this. Never again.</p>
<p>“<i>On my last breath</i>,” swore Shiro, venom dripping from every word and lion’s eyes flashing a fierce gold from his irises, “<i><b>I will make sure this is the end of the line for you!</b></i>”</p>
<p>Sendak bellowed as his balance gave out, the purple quintessent chain in his arm snapping over itself, and his head meeting the wall with a sickening <i>CRACK</i>.</p>
<p>	Shiro definitely had to thank Allura for that one.</p>
<p>	Because, this time, as he stood over the alien who had been one of their greatest enemies from day one, all he could think about was how, no matter what…</p>
<p>	No matter what…</p>
<p>	<i>I want to go home to my family!</i></p>
<p>	“Pidge?!” Shrieked Shiro, tripping backwards as one of his eyes lit up a honey gold and his back thrummed with sizzling agony, the Green Paladin’s shouts ricocheting through his head like a second battlefield. “Pidge, is that you?!”</p>
<p>	“<i>Shiro!</i>” Shouted Pidge, the relief practically flooding his name, and Shiro’s bayard exploded with green light, tearing free of his arm as Sendak groaned. “<i>Heck yes, you’re safe! Gyeugh!</i>”</p>
<p>	Shiro flinched as an explosion rocked his connection with Pidge, the song of shattering glass just barely audible, and he cupped a hand over his ear as if that would somehow improve their communication. Pidge snickered.</p>
<p>“<i>Sure, Shiro</i>,” she teased, effort heaving behind each word, like she was trying to wrench a metal pipe free with her bare hands. “<i>Magical cosmic quintessence links totally operate like headsets, yep.</i>”</p>
<p>	“Nice to know you’re doing fine,” replied Shiro, a mix of a laugh and a sigh draping over his words, and he barely registered the green and blue holographic screen that slid over one of his eyes. “How’s Matt?”</p>
<p>	Bright teal lines lit up the screen, and Shiro stifled a screech that had nothing to do with the Galran commander getting into a fighting stance behind him because <i>wow, Lance was not kidding when he said melded bayards did weird things!</i></p>
<p>	Pidge’s snicker at the thought was strangled by a metallic screech, the gushing of water, and a strangled scream that burned right into Shiro’s arm. Shiro reeled back, and Pidge snarled low in her throat as the whistle of wind filled Shiro’s ears.</p>
<p>	“<i>Haggar found us</i>,” grunted Pidge as if in response to Shiro’s question, swords lining each word, “<i>but we found the comet</i>.”</p>
<p>	“You what?!”</p>
<p>	“<i>Shiro, how do you work this thing?!</i>” Finally erupted Pidge, boots skidding against the ground with a shriek. “<i>I can’t get this bayard to do <b>anything</b> and Haggar is kind of <b>blowing me up!</b></i>”</p>
<p>	Sendak charged, fist smashing through the ground where Shiro had been just ticks before, and the Blue Paladin swore as he spun through the air. Sendak seethed, a triumphant smile curling at his lips.</p>
<p>“You seem distracted, Champion,” he snarled. “A dangerous choice.”</p>
<p>	“<i>Shiro? What was that?</i>”</p>
<p>	Shiro bit back another curse as he snapped into a fighting stance.</p>
<p>	“Just a lost cat, Pidge,” he replied, smirking as Sendak’s fur became porcupine quills at the comment. “What’s going on there?”</p>
<p>	“<i>Shiro, bayardless over here and fighting <b>Haggar</b>, remember? Not the time for a mission report!</i>”</p>
<p>	“How did you make it work with Lance last time?” Insisted Shiro, cursing silently that the others had turned off their comms while deflecting Sendak’s strikes and catching his wrist for just long enough to flip the commander over his shoulder and send him slamming into a crate of supplies. “You’ve done this before, Pidge; you can do it again!”</p>
<p>	“<i>I was in my Lion!</i>” Shot back Pidge, lightning nearly crackling out her words, and Shiro’s throat constricted; he had felt firsthand how agonizing that electricity was, and Pidge’s huffing gasps for breath pumped right through his own heart. “<i>Bayard goes in socket, not complicated! Lance was the one on the ground!</i>”</p>
<p>	Shiro’s answer was obliterated by the kick to his stomach hurling him halfway across the room and blasting apart any air he had in his body. His back bounced off the ground, head snapping just shy of a concussion, purple fingers searing scratches into the ground as he grappled for any hold, and eyes tearing across the room to find Sendak. Pidge’s thoughts were flooding through him, overlapping and dancing around his own, and Shiro swore he caught just a glimpse of amber hair hunched over a computer, a black cloak crackling into place beside it with flicking lashes of purple that nearly made him throw up, and a towering pillar of…something behind them. He could hear Pidge’s footsteps pounding against the floor, arms swallowed by lava, teeth biting into one another so hard it <i>hurt it hurt it hurt, she was in pain, her brother was in danger and she was all that stood between him and Haggar, she had to get to him had to reach him she had to protect him, impossible or not, <b>she would protect him—!</b></i></p>
<p>	Shiro snapped back to his own body with a shout, his vision blurring and nearly whiting out, ears still ringing with Pidge’s cosmic roar and arms burning like he had just plunged them into a volcano. He gasped for air, lungs heaving against his chest, and stomach roiling like he had drank an infuriated ocean. He swallowed, needles skewering each breath, and managed a single, trembling word.</p>
<p>“…P-Pidge?”</p>
<p>Sendak lunged, claws snapping towards Shiro’s throat, and triumph gleaming in every line of his body because finally, finally, <i>finally</i>, he could say he was the one to kill the Champion of the Arena.</p>
<p>“Say goodbye—”</p>
<p>“<i>Shiro, look behind him—!</i>”</p>
<p>“—human scum!”</p>
<p>Shiro moved without thinking. His chin jerked up, eyes flashing like volcanic smoke, and Sendak’s vindictive, cruel smile filled his vision. But he never took his eyes off of the air behind the commander. Time seemed to slow around him, the light shimmering in a rainbow off Sendak’s claws. Shiro’s breaths were hammers in the silent base, the sweat sliding down his face like acid from Haggar’s latest experiment, and his heartbeat more deafening than a war drum. Or maybe a lion’s roar.</p>
<p>A drop of sweat fell from his chin as Shiro smiled. It plinked against the ground, soft as a dove, just ticks before Sendak’s claws tore it to shreds.</p>
<p>“<i>SHIRO?!</i>” Screamed Pidge, the wind shrieking all around her and pain searing through her body like a flaming sword. “<i>SHIRO, ANSWER ME! <b>SHIRO!</b></i>”</p>
<p>
  <i>Come on, come back like you always do. Come on, come home to us. Come home to me, just like you came out of that weird spaceship with Adam, when it was supposed to be impossible…</i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p>
<p>
  <i></i>
</p>
<p><i>Shiro chuckled as he stepped into the doorframe, tapping his knuckles to the metal with that soft </i>clink<i> the whole Castle had once recognized. It used to send Lance leaping to his feet, spinning and spreading his arms as if to announce Shiro’s presence, or maybe to silently offer the older man a hug, a grin blossoming across his lips. Keith would always turn, smile soft and eyes lighting up like he was still twelve and being told for the first time that he was going to go far, like he could see the pride swelling in Shiro’s eyes each time he caught Keith’s gaze. Hunk would spring up, talking a mile a minute about this new dish he was planning on making, and how he hoped Shiro would try it first to make sure he had fried the noodles up just right. Pidge would slide down her headphones at the commotion, grinning up at Shiro with that impish flash in her eyes that sent a faint shiver down his spine; the Holts were a force to be reckoned with. Allura’s touch would slide over his shoulder, light and cool against his vest, and that sweet smile on her lips that always reminded him just a bit of Adam and how much he missed his partner. Coran used to squawk his way to Hunk’s side, joining in the discussion of how to handle the more space-crazy ingredients and regaling Hunk (the whole room) loudly with stories about his own run-ins with those ingredients.</i></p>
<p>
  <i>Shiro hoped they hadn’t forgotten. It wasn’t some special knock or anything, it wasn’t a warning that he was having a painful day, it was just his little way of saying hello. And if it was just as much a hello to his new life as it was to his family, then that had never seemed to bother anyone.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>And he was more than ready to say hello to his family again.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Pidge spun, shooting to her feet and leaving her headphones to clatter onto the table, amber eyes blown wider than Lance’s laugh. Or…where his laugh should have been.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Shiro!” She cheered, dashing across the room and throwing her arms around Shiro, grin crinkling her eyes shut and making her nose twitch like an excited bunny’s. “You’re really here!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Shiro chuckled, trapping Pidge in a bear hug and ruffling her hair as she pressed closer to him, soaking in the sound of his heartbeat.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“You bet I am, Pidge,” he promised.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>It had only been a quintant since he made it home to the Castle of Lions with Adam in tow, and between his dances through the old home and the nearly constant dog piles from the team, he couldn’t keep a smile off his lips for more than a tick. He was finally back where he belonged, back with the family he had chosen, who had rejected the idea that he could ever be a monster, and who had unflinchingly loved him even when he didn’t know if he could love himself. They were his entire universe, all within these castle walls, and finally all safe within his arms again.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“You know, I haven’t really gotten a chance to catch up with you,” he commented, smirking as Pidge’s glasses bit into his vest. “How have things been going for our number one inventor?”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Pidge’s head snapped up so fast he was worried she would get whiplash, her eyes lighting up like supernovas and her grin eclipsing that in a heartbeat as she tightened her grip on him, bouncing like she couldn’t stay still.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“It’s been awesome!” She crowed. “Hunk and I are working on this new mechanism that might be able to transform direct currents into alternating ones by counteracting the orbital shifts of electrons! We think that if we were able to use it in battle, it might fry some battleships’ systems! I mean, we haven’t figured out how to actually build it yet, or how to create enough of a wide-scale effect that it would be even remotely helpful on the battlefield, but we finally managed to get the mechanism small enough that I can fit it inside of Green! But then Lance said the other day that we needed to make sure that it doesn’t interfere with the Blade of Marmora ships or any of Lotor’s ships when we inevitably work together,” added Pidge, rolling her eyes dramatically, and Shiro chuckled; those two seemed to be getting along better than when he had been teleported away. “But! Luckily, Keith still has the Blade ships’ schematics, and Lance is digging around with Allura to see if they can find an updated catalog of Galran battle ships. Lance isn’t keen on telling Lotor about the new weapon just yet, so they’re kind of making due. And I mean, valid, but like, come on!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Shiro blinked, head tipping to the side and eyebrows scrunching together as Pidge continued babbling, practically spinning around the room and building the new invention right before his eyes. Since when had Lance been the one making diplomatic decisions? Last he checked, Allura was the voice of ceremony on the team and, since she was the only one who understood these customs like the back of her hand, he had kind of assumed she was going to stay in that position, Blue Paladin or not.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Then again, he never would have thought Keith and Lance would stop dancing around each other enough to <b>get together before he came back!</b> Things had changed a lot since he had left. More than he wanted to admit. Like this room.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Keith not being in the common room wasn’t strange; he tended to prefer the training room, and Hunk’s feast plans for dinner ensured that he was humming away happily in the kitchen. Allura was probably on the bridge, getting ready for another diplomatic mission, and Coran was bopping around the Castle of Lions with Adam in his usual, boisterous way. But Lance…</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Lance loved the common room. He was always there, whether he was reading a book with Keith, playing with the space mice, doing yoga with Allura, playing video games with Pidge, chatting with Coran, singing musical theatre songs with Hunk, or dragging Shiro in for a shoulder massage. He practically lived in the common room. Shiro had even caught him sleeping there sometimes, both during the day and long after he should have gone to bed.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>From what Pidge had said, he was probably on the bridge along with Allura, helping her prepare for the next diplomatic mission, but…Shiro couldn’t help swallowing down a pang at the nearly empty common room.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>And Pidge must have felt really lonely to come out of her lab and work here.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“But yeah,” continued Pidge, arms flapping through the air and amber eyes practically glowing through her glasses, “I think that if we just focus a bit more on the input instead of the output right now, then the slope we have going would more than suffice for battlefield functionality!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Yeah, it probably would, kiddo,” agreed Shiro, tousling her hair and settling onto the couch with an encouraging smile, patting the cushion next to him. “You want to sit down and tell me more about it?”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Pidge stared, fingers going slack by her side, and turned to face him on clumsy feet.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“You…you sure?” She asked. “You’re not too busy?”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Flames erupted in Shiro’s chest, searing up into his throat, and he leaned forward, an earthquake just barely contained in his eyes.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“I always have time to listen to you,” he promised. “Especially now, since I’m not exactly supposed to be training a lot.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Pidge’s gaze stayed on him, still and wide, with just the faintest shine wavering in her eyes, and Shiro barely managed to bite back the venom in his voice. “Why? Have the others not made time for you?”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“What? No!” Cried Pidge, arms flailing as she literally backpedaled across the carpet. “I mean, yes! They have! Hunk is usually working with me anyway, but Lance also likes to come down and chat with us, or Keith will hang out in the common room so I can sit with him if I want company. Sometimes even Allura joins in,” she added with a crooked smile. “It’s just that you—I mean, your clone—he…kind of got annoyed when I talked about my tech stuff. He couldn’t understand a word I was saying, so he said I should talk to Hunk about it. That it was a waste of his time.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>She shrugged, shoulders wobbling through the air as if trying to brush away an invisible hand, and Shiro wondered if Allura would be mad at him for breaking into the cryopod just to punch that clone out the airlock.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Pidge,” he called softly, stepping in front of her to kneel, hands on her shoulders and eyes locked on her own. “It’s true that I don’t understand a word you’re saying half of the time. But that just means I get to learn. I’ve learned so much from you, I’m pretty sure I could give that brother of yours a run for his money at this point.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Pidge gave a watery chuckle, and Shiro pulled her into a hug, running one hand up and down her back gently. “I like it when you talk about this stuff because it makes you so happy,” he promised. “So talk as much as you want, okay? I’ll always be here to listen, to learn, and to share in your joy.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p><i>“SHIRO!</i>” Screamed Pidge, the memory fading from their bond, and a faint sob taking its place over the scrape of her boots against the floor.</p>
<p>	<i>You said you’d always be there for me—with me! Don’t leave, you’re not allowed to leave me. Shiro, come back. Shiro! SHIRO!</i></p>
<p>	Sendak stood, lips folded over one another in a grimace that was probably supposed to pass for a smile, and fists clenching by his side as his teeth snapped against one another.</p>
<p>“Finally,” he declared, raising his claw triumphantly to the sky. “This war is over!”</p>
<p>	A kick cracked against the back of his neck, flinging Sendak headfirst into the wall with a <i>SMASH</i>, and Shiro tilted his head back with a smile.</p>
<p>	“Sorry, Pidge,” he replied as Sendak slumped to the floor. “Just taking out the trash.”</p>
<p>	Pidge let out a breathless laugh, tears staining the sound, and Shiro felt a throb through their bond.</p>
<p>	“<i>Geez, if you’re going to take that long, at least bring back ice cream</i>,” she managed, the hiss of lightning streaking past her ear, and a distant explosion ringing out. “<i>…So, how’d you like teleporting?</i>”</p>
<p>	Shiro grinned, cupping a hand over his ear again just to hear Pidge laugh.</p>
<p>	“One word: vertigo,” he joked, turning towards Sendak as his mouth settled into a grim line. “But, seriously, thank you, Pidge. You saved my life.”</p>
<p>	“<i>Anytime!</i>” Yelped Pidge, and a shout echoed off to her left. “<i>Uh, give me a tick over here!</i>”</p>
<p>	Shiro chuckled, giving her a mental salute. Then he crossed the room to kneel in front of Sendak, snapping Altean handcuffs onto the commander’s wrists, and tapping two fingers to the top of his neck to check for a pulse. Their major veins were in a slightly different place, but they throbbed just as strongly as any human’s. Shiro blew out a slow breath, and let his ash eyes rest on the commander who had dragged them into this war.</p>
<p>	Their very first adversary, from his first attack on Arus to the bombing of the castle, would always be Sendak. And he was the last Galran who Shiro would personally fight. And from the first chapter to the last, nothing had changed. With the help of his family, with their trust and love, Sendak would be Shiro’s final victory.</p>
<p>	“Your part in the war is over,” stated Shiro, smiling softly. “And soon, mine will be too.”</p>
<p>	“<i>Huh?</i>” Pidge’s voice cut in, staticky like she was on the wrong channel. “<i>Wait, Shiro, what do you mea—</i>”</p>
<p>	An excruciating cold flooded their bond, as if someone had stepped on the weak part of a frozen river and shattered the ice only to discover that the water beneath was frigid beyond anything they could ever imagine. It flooded over the river, seeping into Shiro’s mind like blood, and a flash of metallic laughter rang out. Pidge screamed, Blue roared, and <i>something</i> hissed down towards him.</p>
<p>	“<i>Shiro!</i>” Cried out Pidge, a flare of green burning out the darkness biting at his mind, and he swore he could feel her thin arms wrapping around him again in one, final hug. “<i>I love you!</i>”</p>
<p>	“PIDGE!” Shouted Shiro, reaching out as if he could grasp his space daughter and pull her close, to capture her in a hug and protect her from the evils of the world he knew were lunging at her throat. “COME BACK SAFE!”</p>
<p>	He felt her warmth in his arms for just a split tick, the edge of her shoulders, the way she nudged her cheek into his vest to avoid the buttons. And he held Pidge tight.</p>
<p>Then their bond <i>exploded</i>, shrapnel ripping through the astral plane and scattering through his mind, fragments of what was possibly his last conversation with Pidge. Shiro hoped he hadn’t let her go that easily.</p>
<p>	He blew out a long, slow breath.</p>
<p>	And, slowly, he clicked on his comm.</p>
<p>	“Hey, guys,” he managed, tears pricking his eyes as the final shards of his bond with Pidge dissolved.</p>
<p>He just had to believe she would make it back to them, that she would come home again. She was the Paladin of the Green Lion, the greatest technician he had ever seen, and a Defender of the Universe, after all. He owed her this much at least.</p>
<p>“<i>Shiro!</i>” Cried Keith, and Shiro could almost feel his brother’s hands tremble through the comms. “<i>Are you okay?!</i>”</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” promised Shiro, and Hunk let out a booming sigh of relief. “More importantly, is the base disabled?”</p>
<p>	“<i>Yeah, fifteen dobashes ago</i>,” teased Adam, his voice wavering like his lips were curling into that half-smile that always broke Shiro’s heart a little. “<i>We were just waiting on you.</i>”</p>
<p>Shiro laughed softly.</p>
<p>“The lost cat has been confined,” he replied, a grin creeping onto his face. “But, more importantly, is Lance there?”</p>
<p>“<i>Uh, obviously!</i>” Scoffed Lance, a hiss of pain following the words. “<i>What’s up, my man?</i>”</p>
<p>“If you actually figured out how to use a melded bayard in the middle of battle, you are beyond insane,” deadpanned Shiro, thumb rubbing over the handle of his pure blue bayard. “These things are <i>weird</i>.”</p>
<p>	And, this time, he didn’t need any bond to feel Lance’s jaw come unhinged, his eyes blowing wider than Earth itself, and the black bayard tumbling from his fingers. A rumble of laughter spread through Shiro’s chest as the telltale clatter rang through his comm, and he hauled Sendak over his shoulder. He had to get a headstart if he wanted to beat Pidge home, after all.</p>
<p>	<i>“WAIT, YOU MELDED WITH PIDGE?!”</i></p>
<p>
  <i>	“WHAT DID SHE SAY, IS SHE OKAY?!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Pidge?! How did Pidge get involved in all this?!”</i>
</p>
<p>	Shiro laughed as his team started screaming over the comms, and he glanced through a window up at the stars.</p>
<p>	<i>“IF HE MELDED WITH ANY OF US, WE WOULD HAVE STARTED SHRIEKING INTO THE COMM! Plus, Pidge has melded with two of us, it makes sense she would meld with Shiro too!”</i></p>
<p>
  <i>	“NOT IMPORTANT; IS SHE OKAY?!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>	“Shiro, are you there?! Is Pidge doing okay, is she eating enough and sleeping enough and drinking enough water, she <b>never drinks enough water—</b>”</i>
</p>
<p>	Shiro chuckled as Hunk listed off a textbook of concerns he had for his best friend, and turned to gaze out the windows at the stars beyond. At the stars where Pidge was biting and kicking and clawing her way back home to them with Matt by her side, Green’s roars singing through her veins, and her family’s hands all resting against her back. They would be waiting for her when she came back, ready to wrap her up in a hug and carry her to the blanket fortress where infinite hot chocolate awaited. They would be here when she came home. Until then, Shiro just hoped she knew the truth he whispered up to those stars where his space daughter fought like the lioness she was born to be.</p>
<p>“I love you too.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Circlet of Queens Part II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The White Lion roared, pouncing on the two figures entering the bejeweled caves leading to Oriande, fangs bared and tail lashing like a whip.</p>
<p>	“Look out!” Screamed Allura, throwing up an arm to guard Acxa as her general stumbled against the rocky ground, her cerulean eyes flashing like ice in the glow off the White Lion. “Acxa!”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The White Lion roared, pouncing on the two figures entering the bejeweled caves leading to Oriande, fangs bared and tail lashing like a whip.</p>
<p>	“Look out!” Screamed Allura, throwing up an arm to guard Acxa as her general stumbled against the rocky ground, her cerulean eyes flashing like ice in the glow off the White Lion. “Acxa!”</p>
<p>	The White Lion’s mouth snapped down on Allura’s arm, slamming past the guard and crashing into the Red Paladin with a fury that rivalled her own Lion. Allura let out a howl of pain as the Lion smashed her into the ground, dragging her through the rock until the stones ripped through her skin. Allura bit back a growl as she reached for her bayard, but the White Lion’s eyes glowed like rubies and clamping down on her arm and flinging her from the cave.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Allura!” Screamed Acxa as her love arced through the square of fire she had cut out, the White Lion snarling and bounding after her. “Get away from her, you murder cloud!”</p>
<p>Acxa whipped out her gun, training three shots on the Lion in quick succession as it leapt through the square after Allura. She held her breath, the lasers firing true to their mark, and she braced her feet to dash out after her love. She had to be quick, had to get to Allura in case the gate of flames closed again soon; she had to make sure they made it through this. She had to give them a chance at that future they wanted together.</p>
<p>But the shots phased through the White Lion harmlessly, and its tail had barely flickered out of the cave when the gate of flames roared back to life again.</p>
<p>“<i>No!</i>” Roared Acxa, charging for the gate as her eyes darted around the cave; where had her luxite blade gone? “Allura!”</p>
<p>The fire surged in front of her face, sealing the exit shut with a faint hiss as Acxa skidded to a halt, a scream ripping from her lips as tears glossed over her eyes. “<i><b>Allura!</b></i>”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Allura barely had time to draw her shield when the White Lion tore out of the cave, her bayard flashing to her hand with a desperate flick of the wrist as the Lion bore down on her. She could still remember the glimmer of the astral plane where she had fought the Black Lion, where corrupted quintessence had almost ripped them to shreds, where everything had felt so close to hopelessness she almost couldn’t breathe.</p>
<p>And, this time, she was alone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Acxa nearly screamed again when a quick search revealed that the luxite blade had been knocked outside of the cave. She had been given that by Krolia! When the two had first come aboard the Castle of Lions, they had bonded with a speed that almost alarmed Acxa. It had been so natural talking to her, like they had known each other once upon a time, and Krolia had told her so many stories of Earth and her husband. Acxa would never forget Krolia’s hand, so warm it brought tears to her eyes when it lay on her shoulder, running through her head as the taller woman smiled with a strange pain in her eyes. <i>Just be yourself</i>, she advised. <i>And say everything you ever wish to say to the princess quickly. We are in a war…and we do not always get that chance.</i></p>
<p>Krolia had slid a knife from her pocket and tucked it into Acxa’s hands, hesitation lacing each movement, but pure faith when she locked eyes with Acxa and smiled like a sunrise. <i>Keep it</i>, Krolia had insisted when Acxa made to hand it back to her, <i>the one it was made for is long gone…but you are still here. So live like you are going to die, and love like it will be gone tomorrow.</i></p>
<p>And now it was gone. Krolia had felt so soft against her, like the mother she had lost before she could remember, but those words felt like everything she had ever wanted a mother to say. Although Acxa had yet to properly activate her Blade, that small acknowledgement that she was enough—that, regardless of skin color or hair composition, she was still Galra—it was something she had been searching for as long as she could remember.</p>
<p>The only thing she had ever wanted more was Allura’s hand in her own.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Allura dove, her spine rolling across the ground as she darted under the White Lion’s charge, her armor skidding against the stones and her shield throwing up blue sparks. The White Lion gave a shuddering roar, and Allura’s chest heaved with the effort of breathing. A strand of hair slid from her braid, and her teeth snapped together as the faint shine of the luxite blade caught her eye.</p>
<p>The White Lion plowed into her, head pounding into her stomach once more, blowing all the air from her lungs and launching her into the air. Its fangs caught her ankle then, hurling her across the asteroid once more and lashing its tail as it stationed itself between her and the entrance. Allura skidded against the ground, her shoulders bouncing off the ground as she slid through the rocks only to be stopped by a boulder to the back. A howl of pain whipped from her lips, her head arching just shy of the rock and shield dissolving as the White Lion crouched for another pounce.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Acxa paced the tunnel, periodically pounding at its walls in the vague hope that it would give way enough for her to escape without being buried alive. Her gun wouldn’t do anything, the lasers were too weak to get through the walls and useless against the enchanted fire and, while she could withstand shoving her hand into flames, she was by no means fireproof. Walking through fire was agonizing, even if she was healed rapidly, and alchemical fire might have completely unpredictable effects. She couldn’t do that to Allura, she couldn’t put her through that horror; just placing her hand in the fire before had twisted her princess’ face in too much pain for her to ever bear putting the love of her life through.</p>
<p>Okay, okay, she just needed to calm down. Think things through. Find the rational solution. It was what had carried her through decaphoebs of war, through conspiracies against the very Empire she worked for, through death and flames and ice and insanity, through this crazy life she couldn’t even begin to account for; it had never failed her. It wouldn’t now, either. So Allura had already fought one of the celestial lions (the one considered the strongest too!), and she had walked out with minimal damage and a victory on her shoulders. She could probably defeat the White Lion too, probably even had a strategy, probably…was facing a completely different challenge against this alchemical Lion.</p>
<p>Uh, maybe rationality wasn’t her friend this time around after all.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Allura groaned, propping herself up on her elbows as the asteroid spun around her, black dots flashing in and out of her vision. Huh. Not great.</p>
<p>The White Lion snarled, paws drawing together a split tick before it leapt, and Allura felt all the air rush from her lungs once more. She rolled across the ground, tumbling free just a tick before the White Lion would have smashed her into a pulp and veering desperately through the rocks on her stomach. She slid out next to her map, the arrows still cutting through the ground, and her crystalline eyes fell on them as the White Lion stalked towards her, that faint triumphant tilt to its lips that brought back Red’s first victories with her as the pilot back to mind. She couldn’t believe she was going to let her down <i>now</i>, so far from the pilot’s seat that she could barely see her Lion when she raised her head, tears swimming in her eyes.</p>
<p>“Acxa…” she breathed, grabbing her bayard with her free hand and, as the White Lion lunged towards her with a roar, she snapped it against the luxite blade with a deafening <i>CRACK</i>, sending it spinning through the air towards the cave entrance; Allura’s eyes shone as she reached after it, fingers brushing against the dusty air symbol as they fell. “Go free, my love.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Acxa shrieked as the luxite blade shot into the cave, the handle snapping straight to her grasp, and the flames parting reluctantly after it. The metal shone even in the dim light of the cave as a rush of homecoming flooded Acxa’s veins even when the general could almost feel Allura’s pain rippling through the air. Her knuckles went white around the knife, and she turned towards the fire gate with glowing yellow eyes. She couldn’t take two extra cuts like they had done earlier, she had to pull this off in one. She had one shot at this if she wanted to get there in time, if she wanted to save Allura, if she wanted them to walk out of this alive.</p>
<p>	And there was nothing Acxa had ever wanted more in her life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Allura’s eyes lit up a vibrant blue, her mouth curving into a perfect circle as the symbol for air lit up under her fingers, swirling around her hands and curving towards her elbows in miniaturized tornados. And, as the White Lion arced down on her, she did the only thing she could.</p>
<p>	Fingers turning to steal, wind whipping up a frenzy across her arms, and boots digging craters in the ground, she caught the White Lion’s head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Acxa seized the handle, eyes turning slitted and sclera crackling with a blazing yellow as the luxite blade glowed hot white, her nails elongating into talons and her teeth sharpening into fangs as she let out a battle roar.</p>
<p>	<i>No matter what, we will survive this.</i></p>
<p>	“<i><b>We’re both going home!</b></i>”</p>
<p>	And as she dove into the flames, slashing through them, her blade exploded in a blaze of white light. It flashed icy white beams into the flames, blowing them apart as Acxa charged through, her eyes glowing like a cat’s and growl seeping from her lips as the flames parted for her. Because she had dived in front of enemy fire before for Lotor, she had dived in front of soldiers for her street family, she had dived in front of leaders for Ezor, in front of street brawlers for Narti, in front of diplomatic ensembles for Zethrid, in front of the world for her family before a thousand times, <i>she would not let this be the last time.</i></p>
<p>
  <i>	No matter what…</i>
</p>
<p>	Purple laced itself across her forehead, and the light around Acxa’s knife shattered like glass breaking in the face of a storm, revealing a long serrated Galran broadsword, and her irises flashed like a lion’s at dawn.</p>
<p>	<i><b>We’ll survive!</b></i></p>
<p>	Her lasilh burned across her forehead, a swooping line dancing from one edge of her forehead to the other, and she charged towards the White Lion ticks away from crushing her future wife.</p>
<p>	<i>We will survive this…together!</i></p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Allura let out a fractured gasp as the White Lion’s mind flooded into hers, tumbling over Red in a flurry of lightning tall hair and yowls between the two giant cats. It crouched, growling at Allura, and she knelt carefully to extend a hand.</p>
<p>	“<i>Greetings</i>,” she murmured, switching from modern Altean to the ancient language, “<i>I have come to Oriande to learn the secrets of alchemy, to learn how to protect my family and this universe from destruction. I mean you no harm, I only want to save those who are dear to me.</i>”<br/>	“<i>So they all do</i>,” snarled the White Lion, venom dripping from its voice. “<i>Until their idea of protection is taking another’s life. Tell me, how far are you willing to go to save the universe? Who will you sacrifice to achieve your goals?</i>”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Acxa drew back her luxite blade, but Allura let out a warning cry, and the general hesitated for a split tick.</p>
<p>	“Do not!” Begged her princess, her fingers softening around the White Lion as it stared down at her with a softer glow in its eyes than a few dobashes ago. “Please, wait! I believe I can explain the situation to the White Lion!”</p>
<p>	Acxa wondered if Allura could include Acxa’s burning desire to destroy the White Lion in that explanation without compromising the diplomatic platform they were getting, and pursed her lips. They nicked against her newly developed fangs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“<i>I will not sacrifice</i>,” stated Allura without hesitation, not rising to the bait even as Red growled low beside her. “<i>I will lead. I will carry those around me through battle, I will inspire them to keep fighting, and I shall be by their sides for every tick of the battle. I will not ask anyone of a sacrifice I am unwilling to make; I will inspire them to give their all to protecting our universe, nothing more, nothing less. I am the Queen of the Voltron Alliance, and I will not let our universe fall to cruel hands, never again. Those include my own.</i>”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Acxa slid into a fighting stance, a faint growl on her lips, and she glanced back at the gate of flames behind her. Extinguished. Huh.</p>
<p>	The luxite sword was heavy in her palm, far heavier than her old knife, and she twisted it to study the serrated edge with a faint grimace. Those were beyond brutal in battle, and a faint memory of Zethrid passing something with a similar edge to Ezor in the kitchen that ended with a lot of shrieking, band-aids, and kisses surfaced. Sooo maybe this was one weapon she didn’t show Zethrid until the war was over and she was slightly more…pacified.</p>
<p>	Acxa just wanted Krolia to be proud of it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“<i>Please, you must believe me</i>,” begged Allura, reaching out for the White Lion with soft fingers as she threaded them through its fur and brought their foreheads together. “<i>Look inside me. If you think I would only bring more damage to the universe, then I will go without any further fight. But if you think there is even the smallest chance I could help someone…</i>” she begged, memories of Lance’s smile flashing behind her eyes along with a fresh wave of tears, “<i>…then please trust in me.</i>”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Acxa’s legs started to burn from her fighting stance (which she hadn’t thought was possible after decaphoebs of training, but none of this seemed possible, so oh well) and her eyes were starting to ache from glaring at the White Lion hovering over her partner, but she didn’t drop either action. The Lion had been pressed to Allura’s forehead, eyes closed with a growingly peaceful expression for the past ten dobashes, and her princess’ forehead had been losing some of the lines that were drawn on it when worry clouded her life. Acxa just hoped that wasn’t a false peace.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	The White Lion’s eyes flashed, a sharp golden light that blew Allura off her feet with a shout, and she spiraled back into her body fully as the great Lion loomed over her, its paws light beside her.</p>
<p>	“<i>I will take you to Oriande. We have been awaiting you, Allura.</i>”</p>
<p>	The Lion knelt, offering its back to the princess, and turned to Acxa with a raised eyebrow. “<i>Is your mate coming?</i>”</p>
<p>	Allura could barely move, her breath still hammering away in her rib cage, and she turned to lock eyes with Acxa’s bewildered ones. She wished she had a better grasp of what had just happened too.</p>
<p>	“Er, yes, we are both coming,” said Allura loudly, giving Acxa a quick nod as she scrambled to her feet.</p>
<p>	Acxa flicked her sword back into its knife form, the faint burn of her lasilh comforting on her forehead, and she dashed across the asteroid to tackle Allura in a hug. Her princess lurched backwards, knees nearly buckling under the force of the hug, but her arms were steady when she held Acxa close to her with a choking sob.</p>
<p>	“Stay close to me,” murmured Allura, pulling Acxa tight to her as a single tear fell onto Acxa’s shoulder. “I cannot bear to lose you too.”</p>
<p>	Acxa shuddered in Allura’s embrace, tucking her princess close to her and pressing a kiss into her disheveled braid.</p>
<p>	“And I could never lose you, Ally.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Riding the White Lion was exhilarating. Allura whooped, the wind washing away her injuries as they plunged further into Oriande. Everywhere she turned, purple stones glittered and gleamed, lines of pink crystals cutting through them. Balmera crystals lined the tunnels, and she could occasionally spot the different colors of Voltron if she kept a close enough eye out. The White Lion bounded down the tunnels, laughter rumbling low in its stomach at the exclamations of both girls, Acxa’s fear giving way quickly at the experience of flying for the first time. When they came to that first cavern and White leapt over it effortlessly, Acxa’s squeal had absolutely melted Allura’s heart. And she got the feeling from the vague purr under her that hers wasn’t the only heart Acxa had melted.</p>
<p>	“<i>We are close</i>,” murmured the White Lion, bounding up a pillar of crystallized stones with the faintest hint of greenery lining its curves. “<i>Once we arrive, Acxa must remain with me so that Allura alone may be blessed with Oriande’s secrets.</i>”</p>
<p>	Acxa’s mouth curved into a vicious hook, and Allura lay a hand on her arm softly, their eyes locking in a silent exchange. Yes, it was risky. Yes, it was everything they didn’t want. But they had come so far, had endured so much already; they weren’t stopping now because of a bit of separation anxiety.</p>
<p>	“Understood.”</p>
<p>	The White Lion chuckled, soaring from one floating island to another.</p>
<p>	“<i>Oriande is quite vast</i>,” the White Lion replied to Allura’s unspoken question. “<i>It is customized depending upon the one who comes seeking the secrets. It will reveal what you need to know, nothing more or less. However, when that meant entire civilizations coming at a time, that meant a lot more space than we need anymore.</i>”</p>
<p>	Allura nodded, her neck growing sore from bobbing along, and Acxa intertwined their fingers soundlessly in a comforting squeeze. She didn’t even need to be told to sense Allura’s discomfort. It was one of the things that had drawn Allura to Acxa; this silent understanding of each other’s needs, their moods, their…everything. They had been connected from the start by a quintessence link, but the relationship that had blossomed afterwards was theirs alone. They had built it from the ground up, from blushing terrible flirting to stammered meetings to exhausted nights passed out together to fellow diplomats to supporting each other through the Battle for Earth, to living their lives alongside each other, hand-in-hand, smiles matching and joy exploding in their eyes every time they looked at each other.</p>
<p>	And their silent understanding had only grown stronger.</p>
<p>	So, when Allura stood up on the White Lion’s back, Acxa pressed a final kiss to her knuckles, bit back a flurry of fears and tears, and let her princess slip away from her grasp. The White Lion pulled to a stop, tail swishing through the air, and tilted its head up with something akin to a smirk on its face.</p>
<p>	“<i>Your carriage, princess</i>,” the White Lion teased, bowing its head slightly so Allura could see in front of them, and a faint gasp fled from her lips.</p>
<p>	“A white hole,” she breathed, staring at the swirling mist, sparkles trailing from its tendrils and a spire of light spearing the inaccessible tunnel like a strike through the heart of the universe. “Nothing may enter them; how are we supposed to get through?”</p>
<p>	The White Lion chuckled, its tail flicking Allura’s markings and a soft smile on its face as they lit up brighter than the cosmos.</p>
<p>	“<i>You hold that key inside yourself, little princess</i>,” it replied, shaking its head slowly and settling on a dais below the white hole. “<i>Go beyond what those around you have always considered possible. Go be who you have always known you could be</i>,” it added, turning glowing eyes on her with an immeasurable fire burning within. “<i>Be more than they knew.</i>”</p>
<p>	Allura pressed her fingers to the shining marks on her cheeks, twin beams of light shooting from them, and tilted her chin. One of the rays caught the white hole, ripping through it, and Acxa’s breath fractured as it left her lips. The White Lion let out a low rumble, and Allura crouched, her jet pack flaring to life behind her.</p>
<p>	“I’ll go beyond even what you know,” promised Allura, her blue eyes blazing under the light of the white hole and marks exploding into twin juniberry blossoms on her cheeks as she blasted off of the White Lion. “I will not let your faith down!”</p>
<p>	The White Lion chuckled as she shot towards the white hole, Altean markings glowing like supernovas, burning through the white hole as it tried to throw her back, to reject her, to block her from the greatest secrets in the universe. Acxa clasped her hands in a silent prayer, placing them over her heart as lightning crackled through the white hole, Allura’s markings searing through each gust of cosmic wind, and a roar exploding from her lips.</p>
<p>	“You can do this, my princess,” she whispered, placing her lips to her knuckles as if they would transfer the kiss over to the one she loved.</p>
<p>	Allura’s hair whipped in the current of the white hole, the barrette yanking on her twin dutch braids, and her battle cry grew more guttural as her markings scorched through the white hole, her eyes filled with a wild tornado of pain and hope.</p>
<p>	“<i>Do not worry, Red Kit</i>,” murmured the White Lion, kneeling to bow properly before the rightful Queen of Altea. “<i>You have already gone beyond my greatest dreams of our future.</i>”</p>
<p>	Allura’s markings scalded against her cheeks, drawing a hint of pain into her roar, but her eyes burned brighter than any magic in the universe, her barrette whipping in the wind and her jet pack spewing white fire as she punched through the white hole. Acxa let out a battle cry below, her sweet voice swirling into Allura’s as her quintessence searing against the wind, the White Lion’s roar blending in as she slammed her head through the white hole to join her fist, rolling through the white hole just as her Altean marks sputtered out, leaving deep pink juniberry blossoms on her cheeks instead of the seeds that had been there all this time.</p>
<p>	She had grown beyond just a seed.</p>
<p>	Allura spread her arms as she floated through the white hole, feet skimming the stars as the world around her melted away. She was surrounded by endless colors, the fabric of the cosmos under her fingertips as the universe opened up to her. It felt like the last time they had formed Voltron, the complete connection she had with each and every one of them, so hard earned and burned into them, now stretched out from her fingertips to connect her to everything. Because the universe was just like Voltron; it was the connection between everyone. A connection that she now had a chance to take part in. She could feel the stars passing through her, brushing over her blossomed markings and trailing through her fingers as if embracing her, welcoming her, loving her already because they knew her. They had known her all along. And they loved her like she was their own blood because the quintessence of the cosmos flowed through her veins, flowed through everyone’s. It was just as Pidge said: they were all connected. And what stronger bond was there than love?</p>
<p>	“Allura,” called a voice all too familiar, all too soft and warm, all too much like her own for tears not to spring to her eyes before she had even turned. “My daughter.”</p>
<p>	Allura couldn’t breathe. Her sunset armor seemed suddenly heavy on her chest as she spun, crystalline eyes reflected in the two people she had most wanted to see, had most despaired of having lost forever, had loved more openly than anyone else. Her mother smiled tenderly, tears already sliding down her cheeks as she threw open her arms, voice choked as she called out for her only daughter.</p>
<p>	“We’ve missed you, Ally.”</p>
<p>	Tears overflowed from Allura’s eyes, spilling down her cheeks as a sob caught in her throat, nearly tripping as she dashed for her parents. Of course; Oriande was the land of ancestors. It was where all quintessence went upon death; of course it held her parents’ souls. Because only Oriande would ever allow Allura to leap into her parents’ arms again, flinging her own around their necks as they held each other so tight, so tight, like they would never let go again. Allura let out a broken sob as she clung to them, shoulders heaving under their touch, and her mother pressed a kiss to her cheek as her father stroked her head tenderly.</p>
<p>	“I have missed you both,” cried Allura, tears soaking into her mother’s gown. “I have missed you both so much.”</p>
<p>	“We have never left you, Allura,” promised Alfor, pressing his forehead to the crown of his daughter’s. “We have been here the whole time, watching over you. We never lost sight of our little princess.”</p>
<p>	Allura hiccuped, clutching them so tight they let out little wheezes that were probably attempts to breathe, before stepping back to take both of their hands, her eyes still swimming with tears.</p>
<p>	“You have seen it all?” She asked, practically pleading as a fresh stream of tears ran down her cheeks. “There has been so much I’ve wanted to share with you, so many things I wanted to show you, so much I wished you could hear……did you see all of it?”</p>
<p>	“Every tick,” swore Melenor, stroking Allura’s cheek and letting her touch linger over Allura’s bloomed markings. “We would not have missed it for the universe.”</p>
<p>	Allura let out a sobbing laugh, sinking into her mother’s touch as her father rested a hand on her shoulder.</p>
<p>	“No parent could be prouder than we are of you,” he said, tears fresh on his face. “You have done more than we could ever dream of; you will make a magnificent queen, Allura.”</p>
<p>	“Though if I had been there during that wormhole stunt you pulled, you would have gotten a right timeout, young lady,” teased Melenor, pressing a kiss to Allura’s cheek. “You have amazed us endlessly. Who would have imagined you could have made an alliance with the infamous Mevucs?”</p>
<p>	Allura laughed, shaking her head as if to shake off the tears, her lips trembling even as they drew up into a smile at the mention of the trial that had led to the tattoo on her forearm.</p>
<p>	“And a tattoo before twenty,” groaned Alfor as if reading her mind. “Oh, my heart.”</p>
<p>	Melenor joined Allura in a melody of laughter, and Alfor’s booming laugh was quick to transform it into a symphony. Allura couldn’t stop giggling, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she smiled at her parents again, drawing them into a softer hug.</p>
<p>	“It is so good to see you again,” she breathed, her heart racing a thousand beats per tick even as it swelled painfully.</p>
<p>	Melenor chuckled softly, tapping her circlet against Allura’s with a faint <i>ding</i>.</p>
<p>	“And just in time, too,” she said with a quiet laugh, pulling a bouquet of juniberries from the cosmic dust and pressing them into Allura’s hands with a smile that exploded like fireworks in her eyes. “I have been growing these all this time; I am so glad you came here before wedding Acxa. Our ceremony is not complete without this, after all.”</p>
<p>	Allura’s breath caught and shattered in her throat as she stared down at the flowers she had never thought she would have the chance to give Acxa. She glanced back up at her mother, and she pressed a kiss to Allura’s forehead with a teary smile.</p>
<p>	“Be happy, my love,” she whispered. “Be happy with Acxa and……be happy with the McClains, please.”</p>
<p>	Allura’s heart plummeted down to her boots, and she jerked her head up so fast she nearly clipped Melenor’s chin.</p>
<p>	“I—I never forgot about you guys,” she cried, tears blooming in her eyes. “I never once stopped loving you! You are my parents, you’re my family! And…” she hiccuped, tears overflowing as Alfor cupped her face, matching concern in her parents’ faces, “I will never forget you. How could I be anyone’s daughter but yours?”</p>
<p>	“Oh, sweetie,” cooed Melenor, brushing away Allura’s tears softly. “You will always be our daughter. But you should know better than anyone that you can have two families.</p>
<p>	“But—!”</p>
<p>	“Allura,” interrupted Alfor, cradling her cheek softly as he fixed his eyes on hers, a gentle curve to his mouth. “You are not betraying us by moving on.”</p>
<p>All the breath rushed out of Allura’s body, and her throat closed like all the space within her body had been sucked out. She felt light-headed—no, light-<i>bodied</i>—like she had somehow been lifted above some dreadful agony she had just gotten used to. Alfor smiled. “You are not disrespecting our memory by accepting the love of the McClains. Lance is your brother, he is your family. His parents are yours now too, just as we are his. We always wanted a brother for you, after all.”</p>
<p>“Speak for yourself,” teased Melenor, squeezing Allura’s hand. “I was quite satisfied with one child. Especially when that one is the most extraordinary girl to ever breathe.”</p>
<p>Allura wasn’t sure she was breathing right then, but Melenor just smiled. “We gave life to you so that you could <i>live it</i>,” she insisted, pulling Allura into a tight hug. “You didn’t die with us, and we don’t want your life to stop for us either. We want to watch you grow. We want to see you marry Acxa, to watch Mrs. McClain walk you down the aisle, to cheer when your victory means that you may live a long and prosperous life after this war. We want you to <i>live</i>, Allura. So go out there and live with your families, all of them, because our love for you will never die. You are not replacing us, you are stepping forward into the future we want for you. Never, <i>ever</i>, hold yourself back on our account.”</p>
<p>She cradled Allura’s sobbing form close to her as Alfor stepped in, Oriande’s light flooding Allura’s body as the ceremony completed in their arms, the power of the cosmos glowing on her fingertips as her heart finally flew free.</p>
<p>“<i>Seize your happiness, Allura</i>.”</p>
<p>Allura cried until she felt her very bones run dry, until her body ached from sobs, until her throat scratched from the wails that had torn from her lips because <i>she hadn’t wanted to hurt them</i>. She had stopped herself so many times from thinking of Lance’s home as her own, from claiming her place beside him there, from truly sinking into Mrs. McClain’s warmth because <i>how could she abandon her parents so easily?</i> She had stepped back for so long, had refused to let herself be that happy because <i>what right did she have to that bliss when her parents weren’t beside her?</i> She hadn’t known what she would even do after the war, hadn’t had any clue as to how to move forwards because then she wasn’t just completing her family’s work, wasn’t just protecting the universe and her new family’s futures, so <i>what was she supposed to do?</i></p>
<p>Now, though, safe in the arms of her parents for one final time as the power of the universe pumped through her veins, the answer came as easily as breathing.</p>
<p>
  <i>Live. She would live.</i>
</p>
<p>She would learn to live a life free of war again, one family’s hands in her own, another’s soft against her back, and a third’s waiting for her when she came home again. She would learn how to live with her parents’ deaths in her new mother’s bone-splintering hugs, in her space family’s cuddle piles, in her lover’s embrace. She would learn to live with it so that she could live beyond it.</p>
<p>And, as Allura pulled back and dried her face one final time, her mother smiled.</p>
<p>“Here, my final present to you,” she murmured, sliding her hands over Allura’s destroyed braids. “A hairstyle fit for a queen.”</p>
<p>Under her gentle touch, Allura’s hair sprang free, the braids flying out in a waterfall of curls, and reappearing at the top of her head. They folded back, the ghost of Acxa’s fingers weaving them over the crown of her head in a perfect part. Her curls waved out behind her, tight and glorious, as the top half of her hair tied off the braids, winding the long strands left out of the dutch braids into small twin buns atop her head. Melenor smiled, stepping behind Allura with a soft sigh of bliss as she clipped the sparkling pink barrette (freshly free of acid burns) between the buns where it could best catch the light of a ballroom.</p>
<p>“You look beautiful, Allura,” murmured Alfor, tears filling his eyes again as his wife stepped back to his side. “You are ready.”</p>
<p>“I know,” managed Allura, tears still in her own eyes even as she tried desperately to crush them out. “I will not let you down.”</p>
<p>“We are not worried,” replied Melenor, smiling gently. “Now, go, my love. Go, be great.”</p>
<p>Allura smiled, sunshine glowing in the dimples forming on her cheeks, and she captured her parents in one more tight, treasured hug.</p>
<p>“I love you,” she whispered.</p>
<p>Her mother and father held her close, hiding their tears in her armor, and she let them fall freely one final time before kissing each of their foreheads. “I love you both so much.”</p>
<p>“And we love you, Allura,” promised Alfor, smile curving up to meet his tears. “Never forget that.”</p>
<p>“We love you with our whole hearts,” said Melenor, squeezing Allura’s hands as she fought valiantly against her tears, smile wrinkling her Altean marks with pride and joy. “You are our whole world. Now, go make your own.”</p>
<p>Allura nodded, smile breaking free as she turned and dashed for the white hole, her eyes fixed ahead, the flowers on her cheeks lighting up to burn through the white hole. She had to move forward, carrying their love in her heart and her hands, carrying them with her as she dashed into the future. She…she <i>wanted</i> to become her own Queen. She wanted to make her own new family. And she would, if it was the last thing she ever did.</p>
<p>So, as she turned one last time to drink in the sight of her parents standing there, arms around each other, pride in their smiles and love in their eyes, she raised her head high.</p>
<p>“I love you!” She cried. “I love you, Mom! I love you, Dad!”</p>
<p>Alfor’s shaking hand rose to cover his mouth, and Melenor wiped a tear from her cheek as Allura smiled brighter than anything they had ever seen, one final time. “Thank you for everything. Goodbye.”</p>
<p>Allura leapt through the white hole, jet pack blowing white flames out behind her so that she could land lightly in Acxa’s arms, presenting the juniberry flowers to her future wife as the White Lion’s proud roars filling up Oriande, for another Altean alchemist had finally emerged. Acxa just smiled.</p>
<p>“Welcome back, Allura,” she breathed. “Welcome home.”</p>
<p>Allura let out a choked laugh, pressing her circlet to Acxa’s forehead because, before it even appeared, she knew another circlet would soon adorn her love’s head. They had always been soulmates, from the tick they were born till they found each other in their arms, finally, finally, <i>finally</i> home. And, as she captured Acxa’s lips in a slow kiss, she whispered the words she had never thought she would get the chance to say again.</p>
<p>“I’m home,” she breathed, the words soft against Acxa’s lips. “I’m home, Acxa.”</p>
<p>And there was nowhere else she’d rather be.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Crossfire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“……Papi?” Came a soft whisper, tears staining the word, and Lance’s blood turned to ice in a tick.</p><p>He whirled, already rising to his feet before he even saw the two shaking children clutching the railing, their eyes blown wider than the moon and hands locked in each other’s as if they were holding on for dear life.</p><p>“Hola, mi princesita, mi principito,” called Lance as Keith stepped over to join him at the base of the stairwell. “¿Ustedes dos tenían una pesadilla?”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lance giggled as he tucked Sylvio and Nadia into bed together, pressing kisses to their foreheads and their noses just to see them wrinkle.</p><p>	“Ahora duerme mucho. ¡Tendrás que ser valientes protectores de malvavisco mañana!” He said, waving a finger warningly as he shifted Nadia’s favorite bear to a more optimal cuddling position. “Y no lo olvides, te quiero mucho. Te veré por la mañana, mi pequeña royals.”</p><p>	He popped extra bubble kisses to their cheeks, leaving shrieks of laughter in their wake, and strode from the room with a flourishing wave as they yawned their good nights after him. He stretched, shoulders letting out a series of shrill <i>CRACK</i>s as he descended the stairs, drawing Keith’s eyes to him as he set a tray of cups on the table.</p><p>	“Careful, with all that cracking, Red’s going to think you’re fire and try to outdo you with her lava,” he teased, smirking at the prone bodies of Shiro, Hunk, Adam, and Krolia flopped on the table. “And Black’s going to think you’re all dead and toss you into an alternate reality.”</p><p>	Lance cackled, hopping over the banister and dropping a kiss on Keith’s cheek.</p><p>	“And Starbucks would ask you to be a barista,” he teased, snagging a cup of chamomile tea from the party Keith’s platter was having, and draining half of it in one gulp. “How are y’all doing?”</p><p>	“Dead, deceased, <i>expired</i>, throw me into an alternate reality where oceans are made of coffee,” deadpanned Shiro without raising his head from the table.</p><p>	Lance raised an eyebrow, sipping his tea as he continued to lounge on the table and glance at Keith. His boyfriend chuckled, swallowing a torrent of marshmallows on a sip of hot chocolate.</p><p>	“Iverson and Sanda that exhausting?” He asked, patting Krolia’s back with the slow reluctance of someone who had just been given a random cat. “I thought they were going to ease up on us since we had that ‘stunning’ victory the other day, especially since we were back before the sun was up?”</p><p>	“No, it’s not about that. They were actually civil today,” contributed Adam with a snort, “except for when they mentioned to us that the public relations event was coming up and we had no plan for it.”</p><p>	“What?” Snapped Lance, a growl tearing from his lips. “We have a plan for it! ‘Lura and I submitted it over a movement ago! We’re going to have a panel session where everyone stands up and talks about what being a paladin means to them, some of their best memories in space, and then make some hyper-determined statement on how we’re totally going to destroy Zarkon and Haggar. Adam, Matt, Krolia, and Coran have introductions written by myself, Pidge, Keith, and Allura, and then they’ll talk about being defenders of the universe, best memories, strong statements, etc. Then we’ve got an open Q&amp;A. I’m sending Iverson into the crazy crowd with a mic,” he added with a smirk. “We got this finalized ages ago!”</p><p>	“Yeah, but the public relations event is in a few quintants and, with Pidge, Allura, Matt, and Coran still in space, they’re insisting we come up with a backup plan,” replied Adam with a groan, sliding under his glasses to rub at his aching eyes. “And with both Pidge and Matt having been gone for nearly two weeks, they’re getting antsy.”</p><p>	“Oh, <i>they’re</i> getting antsy,” snarled Keith, nearly slamming his hot chocolate through the table. “That’s rich from the people who abandoned Shiro, Matt, and Dr. Holt in space for <i>years</i> without so much as an investigation! And they don’t really care about either Pidge or Matt, they just want the data and Voltron because they’re too afraid to go out there and face a single Galra fighter on their own!”</p><p>	Lance’s other eyebrow shot up at his boyfriend’s outburst, and he slid a hand over Keith’s shoulder, rubbing his thumb in a soft massage over his shoulder blade. Keith glanced away, and Shiro’s lips pursed just as Hunk’s eyes dropped to his hands like he could build a solution if he tried hard enough. Lance squeezed Keith’s shoulder.</p><p>	“Hey, man, you doing okay over there?”</p><p>	“Yeah,” spat Keith, pinching his nose as his thick black glasses rode up; Shiro had insisted he start wearing them full time when the contacts interfered in another fight because they had been in too long. “Yeah, I’m sorry. Just…really worried about Pidge.”</p><p>	Lance hummed, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to drown out the thoughts those few words attacked him with by slurping dramatically on his tea. According to Shiro, his link with Pidge had <i>exploded</i>, reigning freaking shrapnel throughout his mind, after having been invaded by some incredibly powerful force that he was guessing to be Haggar. He had concluded by saying that Pidge must have forcibly shattered their bond to protect him, but Lance had just bitten his lip and looked away. Breaking a bond and having it explode…those were different. Even when his link had broken with Pidge, it had simply shattered, and that had been caused by both of them <i>passing out!</i> Lance didn’t even want to think about what could prompt the explosion of a bond. That being said, he had no intention of sharing those fears with the rest of the team. The only thing it would accomplish was even more stress, and Lance was pretty sure all of their hearts would collectively give out if that happened.</p><p>	“Aw, is someone forgetting about the time Pidge tied him to the rafters with her bayard and left him to hang like a grumpy cocoon until he apologized for dropping her headphones?” Teased Lance, nudging his boyfriend lightly and stealing a marshmallow out of his hot chocolate; at this rate, he’d have to hide them from Keith in addition to his little royals. “Don’t worry, Samurai, she can handle herself. She’ll come back with the craziest stories ever, some new robot, and way too many flash drives, I guarantee it.”</p><p>	He just wished he believed his own words.</p><p>	But Keith blew out a short breath, nodding quickly, and flashed Lance a smile. He turned his hand over, intertwining their fingers, and dropped a kiss on Lance’s Altean markings.</p><p>	“You’re right, especially about the flash drive part,” he added with a giggle.</p><p>	“And you forgot about the part where she’ll be insanely dehydrated and definitely overworked,” chimed in Hunk, and Lance let out a barking laugh.</p><p>	“No way, man, she’s got Matt with her. You know he’s been shoving a bottle of water down her throat daily.”</p><p>	“The epic battle in the vents: Will Pidge Hydrate or Will Matt Die-drate?” Said Hunk in his deep announcer’s voice, imitating a very tinny bell afterwards. “Round three, begin! And they’re off!”</p><p>	“Matt gets her into a promising lock to start off with, but then she goes for the kneecaps!” Chimed in Keith, and Lance whooped at the light that was creeping back into his boyfriend’s eyes.</p><p>	“Matt is down, but what’s this! Folks, he got his arms around Pidge’s stomach and has flipped her too! Both siblings are on the ground, how will this turn out now?” Jumped in Adam, drumming his hands on the table excitedly, and Krolia glanced up with a raised eyebrow.</p><p>	“If she wants instant victory, she’ll kick him in the groin of course,” she said, head tilted and mouth curved in a questioning line. “I have found this maneuver very consistently useful throughout the galaxy.”</p><p>	The table went dead silent for a full tick, all the boys glancing at one another in vague terror as Krolia blinked.</p><p>	“…So instead of that, she punches him in the gut,” supplied Shiro.</p><p>	“Yep—”</p><p>	“—Absolutely—”</p><p>“—Sounds about right—”</p><p>“—Oh yeah—”</p><p>“—Definitely.”</p><p>“And with that exhilarating conclusion, the gremlin has escaped without water…for now,” concluded Hunk, leaning low as if he was telling a horror story, and Lance threw his head back to let out a sunshine laugh.</p><p>Dios, it felt good to just mess around with his family like this. When he remembered the lonely nights leading up to Kuron’s time in cryofreeze, the vargas he spent questioning his place on the team, wondering if they even cared, playing video games to try and ignore his thoughts, all he could do was throw his arms around these warm, caring, gentle people that had become his family and thank everything holy that they had come so far. He could never ask for anything more than this. Well, he’d like to <i>actually come out to his family without his siblings interrupting him with incessant questions about his time in space</i>, but this…this was still bliss.</p><p>“……Papi?” Came a soft whisper, tears staining the word, and Lance’s blood turned to ice in a tick.</p><p>He whirled, already rising to his feet before he even saw the two shaking children clutching the railing, their eyes blown wider than the moon and hands locked in each other’s as if they were holding on for dear life.</p><p>“Hola, mi princesita, mi principito,” called Lance as Keith stepped over to join him at the base of the stairwell. “¿Ustedes dos tenían una pesadilla?”</p><p>“Sí,” murmured Sylvio, ducking a little behind Nadia as if to hide his tears, and Lance’s shoulders rose like an iron wall to guard his children from the world.</p><p>“Keith, can you make some more of that tea and meet me upstairs in their room?” He asked, tilting his head towards the kitchen even as his eyes darted up the stairs. “I’m going to find a nice picture book for them and get them tucked in.”</p><p>Shiro propped his chin up on his hand with a faint hum as Keith darted from the room without so much as a nod, his pink jacket swaying after him and the faintest rustle of his growing ponytail drowned out by Hunk’s cooing over the cute family. Adam smiled, sipping his tea, and Krolia glanced away as Lance scooped both kids into his arms and carried them back upstairs with promises of an exciting Papichoo express trip!</p><p>	Lance ducked upstairs, cuddling Nadia and Sylvio close to his chest as their cheeks dug into his hoodie.</p><p>	“Lo siento, mi cariños,” he whispered as Nadia stifled a whimper; she had never liked being that vulnerable in front of anyone but him and Sylvio and, recently, Keith. “Estaremos allí pronto, lo prometo.”</p><p>	Sylvio clung to him, and Lance tried to ignore the thundering of his heart against his chest at the familiar heat radiating from his little royals. He had felt it a thousand times, the racing pulse heat of harsh breathing, of flashing memories, of terrors of the past haunting the present. He had seen it in his teammates’ eyes, had felt it in Keith’s body when he stumbled into Lance’s bedroom with a panic attack racing through his veins, and would never forget the ones that kept Shiro awake for nights on end, too afraid to close his eyes. He had to be wrong, he had to be wrong, had to be wrong, something like that was impossible. He was just projecting, just afraid because the pain that the paladins had faced down was coming back to attack them, just overprotective. After all, it was just the…fifth night in a row that one of them had been so shaken by a nightmare that they came down to grab him and, ever since the mission against Sendak, it had become both of them consistently.</p><p>	Lance kept up a low stream of reassurances as he slid into the bedroom, tapping the door shut with his foot and bustling over to the bed, his heart climbing into his throat. The blankets were thrown all over the place, the pillows were askew, and even Nadia’s favorite stuffed bear was laying on the floor. It was nearly identical to Keith’s bed after he had one of <i>those</i> nightmares.</p><p>	“There you go,” he murmured as he lowered them onto the bed, his Spanish even softer than his movements to join them on the bed. “Hey, everything’s okay. I’ve got you guys.”</p><p>	Nadia latched onto his side, burying her face into his chest, and Sylvio was barely a split tick behind his sister. Lance reeled, feet skidding against the floor to find his balance as he hugged his trembling royals close to him. “Whoa—!”</p><p>	“Promise?” Begged Nadia, balling his t-shirt into her hands as her tears soaked into the fabric. “P-promise?”</p><p>	“Of course, Nadia,” soothed Lance, rubbing circles into her back as he dropped a kiss onto the crown of her head. “I’m right here, see? I’m back. And I’m never letting go of you two again, okay? You’re my little prince and my little princess; I have to stay around until you’re the happiest king and queen in alllllll of the universe!”</p><p>	Sylvio hiccuped, large brown eyes streaming with tears rising to lock with Lance’s and shatter his heart into pieces because <i>he had done this dios mios he had done this to his kids—</i></p><p>	“And there aren’t any lasers, right?” Begged Sylvio, sucking in a shuddering breath as Keith cracked open the door softly. “L-Leo’s fine? Everyone’s okay a-and the school isn’t shattered and nothing’s burning, right? Papi, everybody’s safe, right?”</p><p>	Lance’s world spun like a top, his stomach bottomed out down to his feet, and his entire body felt like it had been lit on fire.</p><p>He had failed.</p><p><i>Dios</i>, this was all his fault. He had let this happen, had let those ships get to Earth, had let them shoot at his kids’ elementary school, had let them <i>hurt his kids—!</i></p><p>	“Everything’s okay now, Sylvio,” promised Lance, squeezing his little royals close to him and rubbing their backs as Keith crept closer, tea in hand. “Everyone’s safe. Leo is just fine, I saw him the other day; he was getting a new set of nerf guns so that he could blitz you guys during the game tomorrow. Shhh, everything’s okay, it was just a dream,” he murmured, the words coming to him automatically even as his mind was screaming a cacophony of <i>you failed, you let them down, you did this to them, you hurt your kids, you’re not good enough, not enough, never enough, never good enough—!</i></p><p>	Keith set the cups on the bedside table and sat beside Lance, the bed creaking softly as he placed a hand on each of the twins’ backs.</p><p>	“Feel that?” He whispered, his palm firm against their soft pajamas. “You’re here now. You’re in your bedroom, safe and sound. Your papi’s here to protect you from anything else, and no one would dare challenge a Paladin of Voltron.”</p><p>	Okay, so maybe many beings would, but none of them were on Earth, and Keith wasn’t in the mood to mention that minor detail.</p><p>	“See?” Murmured Lance, pressing a kiss to each crinkled forehead. “Tío Keith’s here too; you didn’t know him before all that. So that must be over, and I promise that everyone walked away perfectly safe.”</p><p>	Thank everything holy they had managed to prevent any casualties. If only they could have saved his kids from this suffering too…</p><p>	“You’re safe,” promised Keith, patting the twins awkwardly on the back as they continued to sniffle softly. “Everyone is okay. It was just a nightmare. Just a nightmare.”</p><p>	Lance’s throat closed up, and he nearly bit through his lip trying to lock the tears back. He could cry later about being a failure; his kids needed him now.</p><p>	“And we’ll stay here until you fall asleep,” swore Lance, drawing back just enough to meet Nadia’s eyes and wipe away the tear tracks speeding down her cheeks. “We’ll be here to keep the scary dreams away.”</p><p>	Nadia jerked out a nod, and Sylvio whimpered quietly. Keith offered Nadia a cup of tea, his hand gentle but stable on her back as she took her first sip. Sylvio refused to detach from Lance, from the solid reminder that his papi was back and that Leo was okay and no one had died, and Keith swallowed down the daggers that the tiny boy’s tears dealt to his heart. He could practically see the heartbreak in Lance’s eyes.</p><p>	Sylvio trembled in Lance’s hands as he gently eased the boy away, sliding a cup of hot tea between his fingers instead, and running his fingers through his son’s hair.</p><p>	“See?” He murmured. “Everything’s warm and alive. Everyone is safe, buddy. I promise.”</p><p>	“I-I’m sorry,” hiccuped Sylvio, hands flailing at the tear streaks on his cheeks as he sniffled. “You-you actually lived through a huge space war, and I’m acting like a big baby just because of a stray shot. No one even got hurt, I-I…I just—”</p><p>“Stop that! You’re not a ba—!” Cried Nadia, but Keith patted her back softly as Lance’s eyes flashed like a lion’s in the dark bedroom, his hands rising to brace Sylvio’s shoulders and forcing the smaller boy to look him in the eye.</p><p>“So if you were being bullied and beat up at school,” he said in that quiet, powerful voice that instantly stilled the room, “it wouldn’t matter if someone punched Nadia?”</p><p>“What?!” Shouted Sylvio, his eyes glowing with fury as he jerked forwards, sloshing a small wave of tea onto the covers. “Of course it matters! How could it possibly not matter?!”</p><p>“Then why should your trauma matter less just because you haven’t fought?” Asked Lance, his tone steady as he adjusted his leg to cover the spill, tapping Sylvio’s cup in a silent reminder to drink it. “Sylvio, an experience is an experience. Trauma is trauma. It’s not a matter of who’s gone through the most,” he stated, memories of Hunk’s panic attacks, Pidge’s screams, Allura’s tears, Shiro’s nightmares, Coran’s insomnia, and Keith’s fight-or-flight instincts springing before his eyes next to this little boy who was breaking down in front of him, “it’s a matter of who’s gone through too much. Sylvio, you and Nadia have been through way too much. We all have,” he admitted, catching Keith’s gaze for an agonizing tick, “but we rely on each other. If Tío Hunk panics, we’re there with lavender scent sticks, weighted blankets, and hugs for weeks. If Tía Pidge is in pain, we bandage her up noooo matter how hard she fights, and then we pull her into a movie night because her little caffeine brain needs <i>something</i> to think about.”</p><p>Nadia giggled, and Keith ruffled her hair with a smile that could shame the sun. Lance beamed, turning back to Sylvio and nearly sobbing when the smaller boy looked up at him with relatively dry eyes. “If Tía Allura is grieving, then we take her through a beauty night and cuddle pile on top of her until we’re out of stories for the night. If Abuelo Shiro…has a nightmare, we find the fluffiest things we can, make him comfort food, and make sure he knows we’re there if he wants to talk. If crazy Tío Coran has trouble sleeping, then we make him soothing tea, talk him to sleep, and leave a nightlight on until he feels safe enough to stay asleep. And if Tío Keith over here is startled awake,” he added, glancing at Keith to ask silent permission to tell his story and nearly sobbing at the tender smile he was met with, “then we make sure he knows it’s us, block him from the training room for a while, and force him to take a spa day. See? You guys, we’re all in pain, but we have each other’s backs.”</p><p>Keith nodded, pressing kisses to the top of their head and cuddling them to his chest as Lance levelled his gaze at them.</p><p>“Don’t hide your pain from us,” he said softly. “We know it better than anyone else. Rely on each other, and rely on us. We’re always going to be here for you two, no matter what. Your pain matters just as much as ours, and it’s not selfish to ask for space to process it. Just remember,” he finished, placing a hand on each of their shoulders and dropping kisses on their scrunched little noses, “you don’t have to process it alone.”</p><p>Sylvio sniffled, Nadia pretended tears weren’t dripping from her chin, and Lance enveloped his family in a tight hug. Keith kept his hands firm on the twins’ backs, soft reassurances he had memorized spilling from his lips, and he locked eyes with Lance in a mutual understanding. They would be here all night if they needed to; whatever it took to soothe their children. Whatever it took to bring Nadia’s sunshine smile and Sylvio’s booming laugh back home, whatever it took to lay them down in a peaceful sleep.</p><p>	They couldn’t turn back time, couldn’t find some way to save them back then, but they could save them now. And they would, no matter what. So Lance wrapped an arm around Sylvio’s back while he massaged Nadia’s shoulders, and Keith stole a book from the shelf to begin reading aloud, scrunched into a little blanket bundle of comfort, love, and family.</p><p> </p><p>	Lance slid the door closed with a soft <i>click</i>, his eyes swimming with tears, and he turned to Keith with shattered glass for eyes.</p><p>	“How?” He croaked out, shivering, and Keith spread his arms open for his boyfriend to fall into. “How did I mess up this badly?”</p><p>	Keith shook his head, pressing a kiss to Lance’s forehead as tears fell from his own eyes.</p><p>	“It’s not your fault, Lance,” he protested, pressing firmly at the knots making up Lance’s shaking shoulders. “It’s not. You did your best, we all did. We protected them from everything worse than what they saw.”</p><p>	“But they still saw too much,” sobbed Lance, shaking his head against Keith’s chest. “I failed them.”</p><p>	“No, you didn’t,” insisted Keith, curling his arms tighter around his boyfriend. “You didn’t, Lance. What you said back there…”</p><p>	<i>The nightmares of his dad going up in smoke, of waiting by that door for hours only to never see the greatest man in the world ever again, the panic attacks from every fire alarm, the breakdowns that came with every father’s day for decapehoebs, all the pain that everyone insisted he had no right to—</i></p><p>	Keith blew out a harsh breath, shaking himself from those thoughts and pushing Lance back to fix those cerulean eyes with his own violet ones.</p><p>	“What you said back there,” he murmured, a soft smile tugging at his lips, “it was everything I needed as a kid. So…I know for sure that you didn’t fail them, Lance. You just saved them. Again.”</p><p>	<i>Just like you always save me.</i></p><p>	Lance sniffed, wiping at his eyes, and sucked in a long, slow breath.</p><p>	“Really?”</p><p>	“Really,” promised Keith, catching Lance’s hand and dragging it to his lips for a soft kiss. “You did more than enough.”</p><p>	Lance let out a teary laugh, intertwining his fingers with Keith’s and tugging him in for a soft peck.</p><p>	“You always know just what to say,” he choked out, leaning on Keith’s shoulder as they reached the stairs, tears still burning his eyes and a sigh on his lips. “You know, we’re also just putting off the inevitable. When this is all over, we’re going to need to think about how to process…what we’ve seen. What we’ve been through.”</p><p>	Keith grimaced, tugging at his ponytail as they turned to catch a glimpse of the brightly lit living room where the world’s most intense game of slapjack ever was underway. It would be so easy for them both to glide down the stairs, to brush off Lance’s words, to say they would handle it later. But after what they had just seen Sylvio and Nadia going through…</p><p>	It felt irresponsible. They were the Black Paladins of Voltron; they had to look out for their team, their family. If anyone was going to handle this, it had to be them.</p><p>	“You’re right,” agreed Keith, rubbing a thumb over his forefinger. “But I don’t think a therapist is going to help. They won’t really know how to handle us; it’s been so many decaphoebs since this country was at any sort of war.”</p><p>	“I know,” Lance replied, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile. “But when you put it like that, I mean, what if we did our own version of group therapy? You’re right, I doubt any therapist could handle us, so I was thinking, who better to understand our experiences than each other? I know that a lot of therapies require, uh, actual therapists, but trauma therapy is all about processing, right? And…well, I’d like to think we’re all most comfortable with each other,” he said, throwing a crooked grin at Keith. “I think if we just talk it out and process together, it’s going to be a lot easier than anything else.”</p><p>	Keith nodded, throwing an arm around Lance’s shoulders as they started down the stairs together. It had been so daunting, a topic none of them wanted to even think about, but when they just sat down and talked about it…all it took was five minutes. Maybe they were a better team than even they gave themselves credit for.</p><p>	“Hey, is everything okay?” Asked Shiro as the two descended, Lance still rubbing at his arms and both of their eyes flushed. “You were up there for a while.”</p><p>	Adam was on his feet in a tick, and Hunk was barely a step behind him, but Keith gave a small shake of his head.</p><p>	“Yeah, the twins just had a…<i>particularly</i> nasty nightmare,” replied Lance, letting the unsaid meaning hang in the air like a broken heart. “I think we’ll all have to step up to help them deal with this a little more.”</p><p>	Hunk winced, and Adam sank back down with a faint <i>thump</i>. Shiro rose, drawing Lance into his arms gently and rubbing his back as tears pooled in the young father’s eyes.</p><p>	“You did great, Lance,” he murmured, locking eyes with Keith over Lance’s shoulder and mouthing <i>what does he need right now?</i> at him.</p><p>	While the others were great at guessing, Keith was going to have the best bet since he had been with him the whole time. Keith gestured to the card game quietly, and Shiro smiled.</p><p>	“Hey, you want to join in our game? Hunk is kind of destroying all of us and I think he’d like an actual competitor,” suggested Shiro, winking at both Lance and Keith simultaneously as he jerked a thumb towards the cards scattered over the table.</p><p>	“Uh, no, actually that’s fine, I rather like winning for once!” Protested Hunk, and Lance let out a bubbling laugh. “Lance has been beating me at this since we were six!”</p><p>	“Eh, you got that one win streak when we were eight,” replied Lance with a flick of the wrist, and Keith’s shoulders eased.</p><p>	He was going to be okay. They had his back, his hand, and his heart held tightly. They weren’t going to let him fall. Never again. And, this time, Lance grabbed their hands and let them yank him into the light-filled room with a ringing laugh, any fears dissolving under the glowing smiles of his family, and his stomach easing as they sat down together at the card table, Lance’s hand threaded through his, and shoulders brushing.</p><p>But they had barely set down the first card when a familiar whoosh echoed around the house, pawing at the windows and letting out a quiet, familiar roar that nearly burst their hearts.</p><p>	Lance’s jaw dropped, Keith’s eyes grew wide, and Hunk’s filled with tears. Shiro pressed a hand to his mouth, Krolia raised her head, and Adam stood with an awestruck, mindless murmur.</p><p>	“Are you serious?” Whispered Keith, his throat going dry with disbelief even as Lance let out a triumphant whoop that shot him to his feet.</p><p>	“HECK YEAH!” Cheered Lance, dashing for the door and practically body-slamming it open. “THEY’RE HOME!”</p><p>	“They’re home?!” Shrieked Hunk, diving from behind the table and rolling through the doorway in a little ball of loving destruction.</p><p>	Keith tore out of the house onto the dusty plain, Shiro’s thumping footsteps careless behind him, and Adam’s pointless screeching as he sprinted out to join them just as the two lions and Castleship descended.</p><p>	The Green Lion was practically thrumming with pride, her jaws open to reveal a battered and distinctly burned Pidge, waving with a massive grin bedecking her face and tears filling her eyes. Matt clung to Green’s tooth, an occasional terrified wave to his family below, and Rover II chirped an excited greeting down at them. Hunk jumped up and down, throwing his arms in arcing waves, Adam shot a finger gun at Matt with a teasing grin, and Keith beamed at the tiny figure practically vibrating with joy.</p><p>	“I knew you could do it.”</p><p>	The Red Lion was no less excited, her jaw wide open to show off Allura’s dirt-streaked armor, hand intertwined with Acxa, and Altean markings glowing as she bent over the edge to wave at her family as a few tears drifted down to them on the breeze. Acxa stood tall beside her, a faint smile on her lips as she also waved, a circlet gleaming on her forehead and a smile that outshone the sun on her lips. Shiro beamed like the sun had finally come up, Krolia pressed a hand to her mouth, tears in her eyes, as Acxa’s blade glowed faintly in Red’s light, and Lance jumped up and down as he let out shrieks of joy.</p><p>	“WELCOME HOME!” He screamed at the top of his lungs as the two Lions landed alongside the Castle of Lions, and he raised tear-stained cheeks to smile at his homebound siblings. “Welcome home.”</p><p>Allura tripped out of the Red Lion in her rush, and Pidge threw an arm over Matt as she hopped towards her family. Lance and Keith broke free, charging towards their limping little sister, and Allura bolted for Pidge with a cry on her lips.</p><p>“Pidge, are you alright?!”</p><p>“Yeah, just a little…<i>haggard</i>,” joked Pidge, and Matt rolled his eyes.</p><p>“I gave her emergency treatment, but she’s going to need a healing pod. Her legs are the worst, though.”</p><p>“Matt!”</p><p>Allura swept Pidge’s other arm over her shoulder, leaving her feet dangling off of the ground, and Pidge looked at her like she was going to bite Allura’s fingers off. The princess just smiled, and Keith and Lance crashed into the three of them with the others hot on their feet in one huge group hug of cracking bones, kicking, tears, and a symphony of laughter to be heard for days.</p><p>“Welcome home,” breathed Lance as Coran finally reached them and joined in, Shay barely a step behind him, and Lance finally felt his heart start to beat again.</p><p>	Because finally, finally, <i>finally</i>, he had his family back in his arms again; complete, safe, and still his. They were finally all together again. And each of them, tears streaming into laughter, could only hold each other tight as one thought filled the desert night.</p><p>
  <i>I’m so glad you’re all here with me.</i>
</p><p>“Wait, SHAY?!”</p><p>	“I heard that you would all appreciate reinforcements, so I gained permission to come and help with preparations! Will that be okay?”</p><p>“Aaaaaand, man down,” joked Lance as Hunk’s brain-short-circuited, his mouth hanging open and cheeks blazing. “Welcome to the Voltron family, Shay! Now, shall we get our number one gremlin into a healing pod?”</p><p>“OOOOOOOH NO, you are not all picking me u—QUIZNAKERS, PUT! ME! DOWN! AAAAAAAAARRRGH, I HATE YOU ALL!”</p><p>“Love you too, Pidgey~”</p><p>And, as they all snuggled closer, the silent reply rippled across the universe to be heard in the pulse of the cosmos for millenia.</p><p>
  <i> I love all of you too.</i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p><p>Season Eight Finale will be out within the week if collage allows it so! I'm already down to the last five chapter, so fingers crossed! In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy Beginning! &lt;33</p><p>Ahora duerme mucho. ¡Tendrás que ser valientes protectores de malvavisco mañana! = Now sleep a lot. You'll have to be brave marshmallow protectors tomorrow!<br/>Y no lo olvides, te quiero mucho. Te veré por la mañana, mi pequeña royals = And don't forget, I love you very much. I'll see you in the morning, my little royals.<br/>¿Ustedes dos tenían una pesadilla? = You two had a nightmare?<br/>Estaremos allí pronto, lo prometo = We'll be there soon, I promise</p><p>Also, fair warning, I do not actually prescribe the paladins' chosen type of therapy to anyone, please have a proper therapist there, this was just the one solution that seemed properly viable for them due to the level of insanity that space threw at them. Anyway! Everyone, be safe and loving! I hope you all have had fun reading this, look forward to Finale! &lt;333</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. The Koganes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A chuckle ringing just a touch higher than his own sounded in time with his own, jarring Keith from his thoughts, and Keith glanced up to meet Acxa’s eyes as Allura let out the echo of a snore in her lap. Keith bit his lip to keep from laughing, but Acxa gave him a conspiratory wink as she ran her fingers through Allura’s hair.</p>
<p>	“Let me guess,” she teased, gesturing to Lance. “Baby snores?”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Keith blinked awake with a warmth seeping through his muscles, a faint fog spinning through his mind, and the soft pressure of arms around him. The pebbled ceiling of the McClain living room slid into view, and he stifled a yawn as he sat up, Lance’s cheek sliding down his chest and landing in his lap with a faint <i>plop</i> and an even softer snore. Keith giggled; his boyfriend’s baby snores were the cutest thing ever. Okay, maybe only second to the pure shriek of delight Lance had given when Pidge fell out of the cryopod into his waiting arms last night. They had all agreed last night that none of them were going to sleep until their little sister was properly back in their arms, although Keith had to pull Shiro away for a tick when he saw his brother’s eyes go glassy as they trailed Pidge’s injuries. He knew that pain all too well, the electrical burns forking over Pidge’s skin and the claw marks that had been pulsing with a murky black quintessence only dobashes ago. Allura had torn it out of the wound with a quick spell, saying something about water having power over air, and vaporized it with a snap of her fingers. Keith still couldn’t believe how powerful Allura had suddenly become.</p>
<p>A chuckle ringing just a touch higher than his own sounded in time with his own, jarring Keith from his thoughts, and Keith glanced up to meet Acxa’s eyes as Allura let out the echo of a snore in her lap. Keith bit his lip to keep from laughing, but Acxa gave him a conspiratory wink as she ran her fingers through Allura’s hair.</p>
<p>	“Let me guess,” she teased, gesturing to Lance. “Baby snores?”</p>
<p>	Keith just gave a snorting giggle, gesturing at Allura’s hand snugly ensconced in Lance’s with a soft smile.</p>
<p>	“Like brother, like sister,” he replied, yawning and stretching. “You guys got back really fast; you just left four quintants ago.”</p>
<p>	“Coran managed to wormhole us very close to Oriande, and Allura’s mastery of alchemy gives her the power to stabilize her quintessence without the Castle. She wormholed back to the Castle of Lions to help with the gathering of allies, and then thoroughly enjoyed wormholing us home,” explained Acxa with a faint giggle. “She was most excited about this new power level; Coran was substantially less.”</p>
<p>	“Obviously,” replied Keith with a laugh. “Hopefully that’s enough power to keep her from running herself through the ground again.”</p>
<p>	Acxa chuckled, shaking her head like she thought that was improbable, and the two of them allowed their gaze to drift around the room. Coran was snoring beside Allura’s head like a very loud guardian angel, and the space between Keith and Acxa that had been taken up by Krolia was strangely empty. Shiro was still snoozing on the other side of Keith, squashing Matt between him and Adam. Pidge was flopped on Adam’s other side and was currently being used as a teddy bear by Hunk while Shay was cuddled up against his back looking suspiciously like she was spooning him.</p>
<p>	Keith snickered, and Acxa passed him his phone with the most matter-of-fact expression he had ever seen before. Keith maneuvered the angle of the screen, snapping pictures of everyone as Acxa ran her fingers through Allura’s long curly hair. Her princess’ markings glowed a little with each snore, flickering out when Allura released her breath, and it was taking every ounce of Acxa’s self-control not to coo over the flashing pink flowers on her love’s cheeks.</p>
<p>	“Hey,” said Keith, snapping Acxa out of her thoughts as his suddenly sparkling eyes locked on the luxite knife dangling from her belt, “I didn’t know you had a Blade of Marmora knife! Have you unlocked its blade form yet?”</p>
<p>	Acxa barely managed to swallow down the desire to chuckle at the glow taking over Keith’s face (she rather doubted he would appreciate being laughed at), and pulled out her knife. She flipped it into the air with a flick of her wrist, letting the light blossom from the blade into the familiar serrated edge caught the sunlight filtering through the windows, and she snatched it out of the air with a flourish. Keith’s eyes lit up, a faint squeal on his lips, and Acxa passed it to him with a grin.</p>
<p>	“I unlocked it during Oriande’s trials,” explained Acxa, her smile turning gentle as Keith continued to gape at the sword like it was the most beautiful thing in the galaxy. “Luckily for me, Lotor trained all of his Generals in swordfighting a long time ago, so I have a good idea of how to wield it.”</p>
<p>	“It’s awesome!” Cheered Keith, digging his heels into the floor to keep from bouncing Lance off his lap like an excited puppy. “This is so cool, I love the edge, I don’t think I’ve seen any weapon with that other than Adam’s bread knife!”</p>
<p>	Acxa laughed, throwing her head back even though the sound was airy enough not to wake up Allura, and Krolia glanced in from the kitchen.</p>
<p>	“Oh, you two are awake,” she said, a soft smile creeping up her lips as she ducked out of view. “I made coffee; I figured everyone could use a kick after such a late night.”</p>
<p>	“Given it’s still five in the morning, definitely,” replied Keith, a clock finally catching his eye. “Thank god it’s the weekend.”</p>
<p>	Krolia chuckled, slipping a cup of coffee into each of their hands and tousling their hair.</p>
<p>	“Indeed, your mate shall not have to take his kits in,” she agreed, sipping on her own coffee as she gazed down at the scene in front of her with a smile just barely tinged with pain. “You two ought to spend some time together today; Shiro and Adam were talking about asking you guys for a chance to babysit the twins so they could get some experience in before they adopt anyone else. They seemed particularly keen on it after last night.”</p>
<p>	Keith bit his lip, but the roaring snores of Adam drew a smile back up at the edges, especially when Krolia gave a fond laugh and his coffee was made exactly as he liked it. “And you,” added Krolia, placing a hand on Acxa’s shoulder with a smile, “I am glad you have settled things with the princess. You two deserve happiness together. You all do.”</p>
<p>	Acxa beamed, holding up her blade and showing off the serrated edge with a glow in her eyes.</p>
<p>	“Thank you. And, look, I have unlocked my Blade!”</p>
<p>	“Well, I’m glad I gave it to you then,” replied Krolia, lips pulling tight at the edges and Keith’s breath coming up short. “It deserved the chance to have another owner.”</p>
<p>	Keith’s wide violet eyes fixed on Krolia, shattered glass strewn throughout his irises because he had told himself one thing since he was a kid, since he had been given this, that <i>at least she gave me this, at least she thought of me, at least she gave me a chance to survive because that was all he had from his <b>mother—</b></i></p>
<p>Krolia shifted, her eyes fixed on the blade as she drew in a shuddering breath, her shoulders settling back like steel.</p>
<p>“Did I ever tell either of you the story behind that blade?” She asked, glancing at them.</p>
<p>Acxa shook her head, and Keith’s hundred-degree-glare was answer enough from him, so she laced her fingers around her coffee and blew out a cracking breath. “Keith, that blade was supposed to be for your sister.”</p>
<p>Keith froze, and Krolia smiled like someone was tearing out her heart. “Yes, your sister. Before I met your father, I was…with another woman,” she explained, picking quietly at her nail as her eyes glazed over. “Shial. I had known her since we started to walk, and I had loved her since then too. I don’t think either of us could ever imagine <i>not</i> loving each other,” she admitted, tears already gathering at the edges of her vision. “I couldn’t visit often when I joined the Blade, but when I did once…she fell pregnant. By the time her message to me came through, the baby was almost two years old. I took leave as soon as I could, forging a special blade for my first child—”</p>
<p>Krolia’s voice choked, a single tear falling into her coffee, and Keith’s blood ran cold as a suggestion as to why she insisted on keeping the war so far from him sprang to mind. Acxa slid her hand onto Krolia’s shoulder, and the woman raised her head as if that would force the tears back into her eyes.</p>
<p>“I finally managed to make it back to them,” she murmured, tugging on her finger quietly. “But the Galra were invading. By the time I found the house…”</p>
<p>She shook her head, and Keith seized her hand in his own, silent agony spinning a thread between the two. Krolia squeezed his hand with a grateful smile. “It had caved in,” she admitted. “I lost Shial and…and I had lost the baby before I ever got the chance to meet her. I couldn’t handle it, so I took a mission as a spy. The ship I was on happened to find the Blue Lion, and, well, you know the rest, Keith,” she said with the first warm smile that had touched her lips since she had begun the story. “Your father…he helped me process and accept Shial’s death. He was no replacement. In fact, he was practically Shial’s opposite,” Krolia added with a pained laugh, “but they would have gotten along amazingly together. He was slow, gentle, and soothing where she was pure fire, reckless, and spontaneous. But they were both kind dreamers who made the world more beautiful by living in it. Keith, when I gave birth to you,” said Krolia with a soft smile as she cupped her son’s face, “it was because I wanted <i>you</i>. I had already accepted that…that Kazir was gone. I wanted you. And I’m glad I got you.”</p>
<p>Keith’s throat closed at the same time as Acxa’s, and he reached up to hug Krolia tight to him.</p>
<p>“I’m glad I got you too,” he said softly. “I’m glad you were my mom.”</p>
<p>Acxa’s mouth flailed silently, her eyes shooting between mother and son, and she slowly set her cup down next to her.</p>
<p>“Krolia,” she called gently, “what planet did…did <i>Jaiva</i> come from?”</p>
<p>Krolia whipped around, her eyes blown wider than moons as flames sparked along their edges, the flames of a hope that she could barely fathom.</p>
<p>“How…” she breathed. “How did you know her Tevanian name? We both used our Galran names whenever we spoke to each other!”</p>
<p>“Because…” choked out Acxa, tears sprinkling down on Allura’s cheeks as a smile overtook her own. “Because <i>Kazir</i> is <i>Acxa</i> in Tevanian! When I joined Lotor, he translated my name into Galran! I had actually almost forgotten my old name at this point.”</p>
<p>Krolia stood still as a statue, tears streaming from her eyes, and Keith was staring at Acxa like she had just turned white and started speaking English. Acxa gulped. “I…I, uh, remember the house falling in. Mom shielded me, but the last thing she said to me was <i>run</i>, so I…as soon as I was free, I ran as fast as I could. I didn’t realize anyone else was coming for me.”</p>
<p>“Kazir…” breathed Krolia, the name fracturing in her throat, and Keith’s face lit up like a firework.</p>
<p>“Well, hey,” he said, reaching across to punch Acxa’s shoulder lightly, “I always wanted a big sister.”</p>
<p>Krolia broke, swooping down to cradle Acxa’s head in her arms, shoulders wracking with sobs as she whispered Acxa’s name over and over again like it was the most precious thing in the world.</p>
<p>“You’re alive,” she breathed, holding Acxa close as she reached out to cup Keith’s cheek with her free hand, and took in a deep, deep breath like she could finally truly breathe for the first time in decaphoebs. “You’re both alive.”</p>
<p>She slid her fingers through their hair, tucking both of them together under her chin as her tears slid freely down onto their partner’s faces. Acxa leaned into the hug, burying her face in her mother’s shoulder as if that would hide her teary smile because <i>she had finally found her family</i>. And it was bigger, livelier, and crazier than she ever could have imagined, much less hoped. Keith nestled in, pressing his smile against Kro—against his mom’s shoulder. Because, for all that she had walked out on him, she had also leapt back in as soon as she could. She had left him because she thought she’d already lost her firstborn and first love to this war, and hadn’t wanted the same fate for her husband and son. No matter what she did, for better or for worse, she had done it out of love. She wanted the best for him. And, as he slid an arm over her shoulders, he sank into the hug fully, and let his shoulders lower. Acxa’s hand soon joined his on hi—on <i>their</i> mother’s back, and they clasped hands with a shared smile. Because they had both gone from orphans to people surrounded by the largest, craziest, strongest, and most loving family in the entire universe and, for the first time truly, neither of them would change a single thing about that journey.</p>
<p>“We’re here, Mom,” whispered Keith, the word almost foreign on his lips, and she pressed a kiss to his forehead.</p>
<p>“Yes,” promised Acxa, brandishing her sword with a soft laugh, “and I really doubt anything can make us go anywhere at this point.”</p>
<p>Krolia let out a watery laugh, and dropped a kiss on the crown of Acxa’s head before redoubling her grip on her kids. She had thought it was impossible, that she would be all alone after she left Earth, but…but she wasn’t. She had two amazing, kind-hearted, brave, resilient children who had clawed their way back into her arms, and who accepted her for who she was.</p>
<p>“I’d like to see them try,” agreed Krolia, relaxing into a greater family than she ever could have dreamed of having.</p>
<p>And, just for a tick, she swore she felt Shial and Tex’s hands on her back, their words soft in her ears as they smiled down on the family that these three had fought to bring together. <i>I doubt that the universe is up to arguing with a tattooed alien ninja family who have an obsession with swords</i>, teased Shial, and Tex let out his booming laugh before fixing her with that kind stare she had fallen for as he took Shial’s hand and smiled softly. <i>We’ll wait for you, Kro. Now, go. Go and enjoy the family you built. You have plenty of time.</i></p>
<p>	Krolia took a deep breath, wiping away both streams of tears, and pressed kisses to her kids’ heads one final time before pulling back and giving them both a watery, glowing smile. They stared back, their eyes reflected in her own, and smiles soft as they squeezed her hands slowly. For once in their lives, they had all the time they needed.</p>
<p>	“So, who wants eggs and bacon?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Pidge’s eye twitched behind her glasses as she readjusted them, nearly catching her frizzy amber hair in the process as Lance passed her a cup of hot chocolate devoid of marshmallows, which she proceeded to nearly drop. She still hadn’t fully adjusted to her fingerless gloves, but she’d also completely refused to drop her “spy acethetic” upon her return to Earth, so Lance had to steady the hot chocolate as he made the rounds.</p>
<p>	“…Acxa,” Pidge said, taking a long slurp. “You’re not a true Kogane until you have a mullet.”</p>
<p>	“PIDGE, I WILL END ALL FOUR FEET FIVE OF YOUR EXISTENCE!”</p>
<p>	Pidge cackled, dodging the pillow Keith lobbed at her head, and flashed a wink at Acxa.</p>
<p>	“Seriously, though, I’m really happy for you, man,” she said, gulping down her hot chocolate as her amber eyes softened. “If anyone deserves to find their family, it’s you.”</p>
<p>	“I already found my family: you guys,” countered Keith, his eyes drawing circles around the house nearly bursting with his family, and his lips tilting up without his permission. “I just added another member to it, that’s all.”</p>
<p>	Acxa chuckled, tilting her head up to smile at Krolia, who was leaning against the couch with a cold cup of coffee in her hand at that point, but whose eyes were dancing a waltz with the lights in the room. She finally had her kids with her, gods she had <i>both kids</i>. She got a second chance.</p>
<p>	Pidge’s shoulders rolled back, her lips loosening, and she flopped back into Matt with a quiet spurt of breath sliding free.</p>
<p>	“They’re here,” she murmured, snuggling against his shoulder as he looped an arm around her shoulders. “They’re all still here.”</p>
<p>	“Yeah,” promised Matt, tucking her a little closer to his side as Lance and Allura took their places beside their respective Kogane. “They waited for us.”</p>
<p>	Pidge hummed a response, closing her eyes and falling into the chatter of her family, the exclamations of joy and teasing, all the little sounds she hadn’t realized was just…<i>them</i>. The way Lance’s tongue rolled faintly on his <i>r</i>’s, no matter how much he had hidden it before, felt like a warm blanket wrapping around the whole room. The gentle hum underneath Keith’s laugh, like the sand under the sea that kept everyone afloat, that supported all of them, and Hunk’s fingers tapping against the ground in a staccato rendition of the Nutcracker Suite, the classical music washing over her like one of their “technoversations” as Lance called them. The rustle of Shiro’s vest shifting with each of his hundred small adjustments, and the softest clink of Adam’s ring against his, like a quiet set of reminders that they were all together, that they were all still alive. Allura’s fingers rubbing at her hoodie strings with a faint <i>shhh</i>, getting used to it once again, brought the phantom thrill of nights smashing her friends in video games back to Pidge’s hands, and Coran’s periodic <i>twang</i> of his mustache was like a silent pat on the back.</p>
<p>	Pidge slid her shimmering eyes open once more, taking a final tick to relish in her family’s warmth welcoming her home, and stood up. Everyone’s eyes snapped to her instantly, their voices cut short, their trust washing through Pidge’s chest until she almost couldn’t breathe. Because, for all that Allura was now dating Acxa, for all that Keith had found a space sister, for all that Lance had two kids curled up asleep on his lap who she knew only from stories, for all that Hunk’s fingers brushed against Shay’s, for all that Shiro seemed like he was finally looking ahead instead of behind him, and for all that Adam had the faintest scar on his eyebrow now, they still hadn’t changed. Not really. They were still family, they were still…they were still <i>her</i> family. After all, Pidge had changed up there in space too, but she hadn’t lost who she was.</p>
<p>	And part of who she was she saw reflected in their eyes on her right then.</p>
<p>	“Look, I’m sorry to interrupt the Kogane reunion, I really am,” she said, voice soft even as a storm pressed into her brow, “but we have a problem. Haggar still has a hold of that comet and, from what Matt and I gathered, she’s been experimenting on it.”</p>
<p>	Allura’s eyes blew wide, and Pidge pulled out the stash of flash drives that Rover had given her before going to recharge in Green the night before, thrusting them at Coran as Keith’s lips did a strange dance behind her. “Coran, these have all the data Matt and I managed to gather while we were on Haggar’s battleship.”</p>
<p>	Pidge dug her heels into the ground, straightening out her spine as she raised her head to level flashing eyes on everyone in the room. They could do this. She knew they could. “Haggar has already found multiple ways to weaponize the comet, including using it to shoot corrupted quintessence at you guys,” she added, turning to Keith, Allura, and Lance just in time to catch their winces, and she cringed apologetically; maybe a touch too soon for that one. “But the comet’s changing. It’s waking up. Shiro,” she said, glancing over to lock gazes with the man, “when our connection exploded, that was because of the comet.”</p>
<p>	Shiro’s fingers tightened around one another, lightning forking across his eyes, and he sat up a little straighter.</p>
<p>	“What do you mean? Did it attack you?”</p>
<p>	“…Not really,” muttered Pidge, reflexively gripping her arm as if to shield herself. “The comet’s still too weak for that. But just like the Lions forged bonds with us, the comet wants the same thing. It tried to link with me and, when that didn’t work, it reached out to Shiro,” she explained, lips drawing up to bare her teeth for a tick. “I had to ask Green to blow up our bond so that the comet couldn’t get to you. Believe me, it is <i>not</i> a happy camper right about now. The things Haggar’s been doing to it…they’re downright cruel, so the comet is kind of just this slimy, terrified ball of vengeance. It’s not a very pleasant guest to have in your head.”</p>
<p>	A shudder wracked Pidge’s spine, and Matt flew from his seat to her side in a tick, his steady hand on her back as Lance’s eyes flashed with an icy fury she had rarely seen. Keith’s sclera flickered a searing yellow, Hunk’s fists clenched painfully, and Shiro drew his legs back as if about to launch into space to destroy the comet with a single punch. Allura shook, her face twisted with pure rage and teeth bared, and Adam reached for his bow on reflex as his own teeth snapped together like a death sentence. Pidge chuckled, sinking into her bond with the team, their astral arms instantly surrounding her in so many hugs she wondered if she could drown in warmth.</p>
<p>	“I’m okay,” she managed, “just still a little…drained. When Green managed to bite off enough of the ship for us to escape, she said she couldn’t touch the comet in its current state. It’s kind of like a cocoon, you know. Resilient, hard to break, and building up its strength. The comet is lying in wait right now, but when it breaks out, it’s going to be the nastiest quiznaker we’ve ever fought. On the bright side, there’s no chance it’s going to let Haggar or anyone with her pilot. On the downside…”</p>
<p>	“On the downside, the ball of vengeance and destruction that has never known anything but ill will is piloting itself,” finished Allura with a soft groan. “Marvelous.”</p>
<p>	Pidge nodded, biting her lip.</p>
<p>	“Yeah. We were able to damage some of Haggar’s experiments on it, so that should slow progress, but it’s just a matter of time. And when it breaks out, Voltron’s going to need to be more than fighting ready because that comet is going to be the battle of our lives.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
<p>Sorry for how long it took me to update, school hit me like a truck, it felt like I had finals for a month! But, here is the long awaited finale! Please enjoy! &lt;333333333</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. “There are Some Things Worth Taking Risks for, and Love is One of Them” — Hunk Garrett</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Which reminds me,” began Lance, placing a finger to his chin with the most innocent expression he could muster, “Shay has never been to Earth before. She’s going to need someone to show her around, get her accustomed to our weird traditions, you know, really give her the grand tour…”</p>
<p>	Hunk’s eyebrow twitched, and Lance winked at him.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hunk didn’t even have time to gulp after Pidge said those words before the room sprang into action.</p>
<p>	“Number 6,” called Coran (having thrown height out the window when he realized Matt would have taken Lance’s spot) as he turned to lock his gaze with the older Holt, “I shall require your assistance with these flash drives; we must make a masterlist of all the data here.”</p>
<p>	“Pidge, if you could work with me on the energy signature of the comet, we might be able to come up with some sort of counter, or a way to strengthen Voltron’s interpersonal bonds enough to defeat it,” suggested Allura, offering the smaller girl a hand with a small smile.</p>
<p>	“Keith, maybe we should run through those battle plans again, try to account for Haggar not piloting the comet,” offered Lance, covering his kids’ ears as they grumbled at the noise, and pinning Shiro and Adam with a <i>look</i>. “I’ll need you two on babysitting duty; no matter what, don’t let Nadia and Sylvio know why I had to run today. Uhhhhhh, ummmmmmmmm, ugh, fine, tell them about the second birthday party I’m planning for them,” grumbled Lance, lips scrunching up into a snake whose tail had been stepped on. “I’ll just say that the stores didn’t have anything good.”</p>
<p>	Shiro chuckled, and Adam reached over to scoop the twins into their laps.</p>
<p>	“Gotcha covered, hermano,” he promised, his gaze gentle even as Lance’s wavered. “We’ll take good care of them, lo prometo.”</p>
<p>	“I know,” replied Lance, sighing as he bent down to drop kisses on their heads. “I just wish…”</p>
<p>	His voice trailed off, and Hunk’s teeth slid against each other as his best friend’s forehead scrunched and his shoulders rose up like a shield.</p>
<p>	“Okay, let’s get going,” he called, turning to Keith and flashing him a burning smile. “I’ll grab our gear.”</p>
<p>	Keith grinned back, turning to his mother and sister with a faint clack to his step.</p>
<p>	“Acxa, Krolia, I’m going to need you guys to get in touch with Lotor and the Blade to update them on the situation as soon as we have word from Matt and Coran,” he requested, eyes crinkling around the edges as a smirk spread up to his lasilh. “Until then, why don’t you two spend some time together today? After all, you finally found each other,” he added, moving to join Lance as his boyfriend pattered down the stairs with two bags slung over his shoulder, interlacing their fingers and dropping a soft, slow kiss to Lance’s knuckles. “So why don’t you two enjoy being found together?”</p>
<p>	Krolia chuckled, and Acxa reached up to rub her circlet with a slight hitch in her movements even though her eyes flickered over to Krolia like a kitten who wanted chin scratches. The crinkles around Lance’s eyes eased, and he pressed his lips to the back of Keith’s hand. Then, with that signature firecracker smirk, he passed his boyfriend the darker bag and fluffed at the back of his hair with a faint cackle.</p>
<p>	“Remind me to tie that up when we get to the office,” teased Lance, sliding into his boots and opening the door to let Coran and Matt out first. “I am <i>not</i> in the mood to hear James’ snobbish comments today.”</p>
<p>	Shiro’s ears pricked up.</p>
<p>	“James?”</p>
<p>	“Yeah, James Griffin,” grumbled Lance, waving his hand dismissively. “Snotty kid in our class, constantly harassed Keith and couldn’t handle him being better, and he’s got a bit of a mean streak. Not a big deal; he’s just an Iverson-in-training.”</p>
<p>	Adam’s nose wrinkled, and Shiro’s face contorted like he had just been told to kiss a centipede, simultaneous groans spilling from their lips. Lance snickered.</p>
<p>	“That seems about right, yeah,” he agreed, lacing his fingers with Keith’s. “But! Duty calls! I’ll see all of you tonight, don’t forget we’re watching a movie at 9:30, so be done with work by then!”</p>
<p>	Pidge grinned, Adam saluted, Allura gave a flourishing curtsy, Shiro nodded, and Hunk let out a whoop.</p>
<p>	“Can’t wait to see it!” He cheered, and Lance shot him a smile that outshone any star in the night sky.</p>
<p>	“Which reminds me,” began Lance, placing a finger to his chin with the most innocent expression he could muster, “Shay has never been to Earth before. She’s going to need someone to show her around, get her accustomed to our weird traditions, you know, really give her the grand tour…”</p>
<p>	Hunk’s eyebrow twitched, and Lance winked at him.</p>
<p>	“Well, since the engineering team is on breaks during the weekends, I guess you won’t be able to start on your awesome inventions and upgrades to handle the comet until tomorrow,” he added in that slow drawl that always brought out his accent, “so I guess you’re free today! Plus, you were the one originally going to the Balmera, so Hunk, do you mind showing Shay around?”</p>
<p>	Hunk wasn’t sure if he wanted to strangle his best friend or hug him right then, so he settled for letting his eyebrow twitch at him a little bit more before turning to Shay.</p>
<p>	“I, uh, I mean, I do know a pretty good brunch restaurant around here,” he stuttered, strawberries infusing his cheeks as he bounced his fingers together, “you know, uhh, if you wanted to.”</p>
<p>	Shay blinked at him slowly, tilting her head to the side as a smile unfolded across her lips.</p>
<p>	“What is ‘brunch’?”</p>
<p>	“You haven’t had brunch?!” Shrieked Hunk, clutching his hair as Lance leaned against the doorway to watch. “You’ve never—! I didn’t tell—! Okay, no, that cannot stand, we are going there right now,” he decided, dashing to lace up his boots. “It would practically be a crime if I didn’t, from one earthling to an alien, take you out to brunch; it’s one of our best traditions!”</p>
<p>	Hunk straightened up, offering his hand to Shay with a blinding smile like he was ready to sweep her off her feet at a moment’s notice. Shay chuckled, sliding her palm into his, and Lance slipped Hunk’s wallet into his best friend’s pocket with a muffled giggle.</p>
<p>	“Well then, madam, monsieur, Keith,” he intoned, holding open the door and winking at his boyfriend, “let us go, for there is much to enjoy on Earth!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“So…” started Shiro as soon as Allura had guided Pidge upstairs to talk through the comet’s energy.</p>
<p>	“You. Me. Gremlins. Garrison,” deadpanned Adam, draining the last of his coffee. “No one messes with either of our little brothers.”</p>
<p>	“Heh, we’ve still got it.”</p>
<p>	“Never speak to me again.”</p>
<p>	“Awww, what, you don’t feel old? I’ll help with that, we graduated in—”</p>
<p>	“NOPE, CEASE, DESIST, DISENGAGE, SILENCE YOU FOUL DEMON!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Hunk lifted his hands from Shay’s eyes, nearly squealing himself as he threw his arms out to frame the restaurant he had chosen.</p>
<p>	“Tada! The Original Pancake House!” He cried, his eyes dancing with sparkles. “It doesn’t just have delicious pancakes, but also some of the best ham ever! Oh, and their Dutch Babies. <i>And</i> their omelettes are to die for, and—ah! Their strawberry waffles, how could I forget those?! They’re out of this world! Oh, I’m getting even hungrier! What are you thinking of getting?”</p>
<p>	Shay tilted her head, rubbing the back of it with a faint blush creeping into her cheeks, her eyes flitting to Hunk’s only for a tick before glancing away again. Hunk blinked, Shay began fiddling with her fingers, and Hunk nearly toppled off his feet because— “Aghh! You don’t know what any of those are, sorry! Hey, no worries, I’m pretty good at figuring out what people will like! How hungry are you?”</p>
<p>	“Oh, I am very hungry, and most eager to try some of your Earthling food!” Cried Shay, hurrying to his side again and seizing his hand with that reckless smile that reminded him of the one alien who dared to climb up as high as she could to see whatever slivers of her night sky reached down to those dark caves. “Come, let us adventure in this together!”</p>
<p>	Hunk’s face erupted with flames, and he nearly slammed headfirst into the door because Shay’s cheeks were roses and her eyes glowed in the sunlight and-and her traditional dress looked super cute and her smile was a sunflower field all on its own <i>and holy quiznak Hunk was so gone for her, so dead for this pretty rock who he had once admired, then missed, longed for, fallen for, that he had somehow fallen in love with despite having only exchanged letters for over a year ohnohowwashesupposedtohandlethisitwasn’tsupposedtobeadatenononohewantedittobeadatebutitwasn’taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—</i></p>
<p>	“Hunk? Are you okay?” Asked Shay, tilting her head as the cashier’s eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight of the two of them. “I-Is there anything I can do?”</p>
<p>	“No! I mean, I’m alright!” Squawked Hunk, robot-walking over to the cashier. “Table for two, please!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Keith dumped a stack of books on the table in front of Lance, who was somehow on the phone with Ezor despite her being, oh, he didn’t know, <i>halfway across the universe</i>. Something about direct quintessent connection or some other jargon?</p>
<p>	“Yup, it flies itself,” confirmed Lance, spinning the rebel’s section of the fleet to the middle and pushing Lotor’s to the back; no one would dare run from the Emperor of the Galran Empire, “because Haggar apparently manages to make everyone and <i>everything</i> independent enough to want to kill her.”</p>
<p>	Ezor snorted, Keith placed a book beside Lance’s hand, and Lance tackled him in a swinging hug.</p>
<p>	“You saving grace, I was just trying to find that!” He squealed, smacking a kiss onto Keith’s cheeks even as his eyes darted to the clock. “Hey, I was thinking…I’m going to be done in about two vargas, so how does dinner sound? Just you and I, so we can have some <i>us</i> time before family movie night?”</p>
<p>	Keith’s chest ached; Lance’s lips had the faintest purse in their smile and he was leaning forward with a little bounce in his step that Keith hadn’t seen in quintants. Since when had they lost out on so much time together? They had spent almost every tick together before they reached Earth, but paperwork and meetings had overtaken their lives lately, especially once Sendak landed.</p>
<p>	“I would love that, Lance,” promised Keith, seizing Lance’s hand and pressing kisses along his knuckles. “Where do you want to go?”</p>
<p>	“Awesome!” Cheered Lance, throwing an arm around Keith’s shoulders as Ezor let out a whoop. “I already grabbed us reservations at this cute diner downtown! We should have plenty of time to arrive in style!”</p>
<p>	Keith giggled as Lance popped open the book dramatically, Ezor’s snorts echoing through the phone, and Lance transferred her to speaker.</p>
<p>	“He said yes!”</p>
<p>	“Awww, congrats! You guys are going to have so much fun!” Encouraged Ezor, the faint clacking of a keyboard echoing through the connection. “Lance, did you get the data I just sent you? The Blade managed to snag a few more tidbits of data on the comet; Pidge probably already recorded them, to be honest, but these are just in case!”</p>
<p>	“Thanks, E,” replied Lance, tapping open the email and throwing it up on the massive blue holographic board in front of him. “Matt and Coran are analyzing their data, so I won’t get all of it until tomorrow. They had a good seventy-five flash drives.”</p>
<p>	Keith cackled at Ezor’s screeching, and Lance flashed a wink at him.</p>
<p>	“Alright, Samurai. Ready to tackle these formations with me?”</p>
<p>	“Always.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“Abuelo Shiro, what happens if I press this button?”</p>
<p>	“Syl, it says not to touch it or—”</p>
<p>	“Oooo, nice. Save that for the finale, kids. Don’t forget, this is Petty Revenge 101.”</p>
<p>	“But Papi already gave us the 101 course!”</p>
<p>	“Aww, alright, I guess I can bump you up to 201. Now pass me the nail file.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Hunk was practically vibrating out of his seat as Shay popped a forkful of strawberry waffle into her mouth, spinning his straw between his teeth until he had made a tiny whirlpool in his orange juice. At the first bite, Shay’s entire face lit up like someone had lit a firecracker inside her head. Literally. Her skin gave a faint green glow, spreading over her cheeks as she cupped her cheek and let out a delighted hum.</p>
<p>	“Hunk, this food is truly delicious,” cried Shay, smile curling up into her eyes like blooming daffodils. “It is sweet, like sugar crystals that dissolve at a touch, but it also has this little bite in the aftertaste much like a soft leaf. It is quite an enticing combination!”</p>
<p>	Hunk blew out a tornado of relief, spooning two sugar cubes into Shay’s coffee along with a generous helping of milk before stirring it all together.</p>
<p>	“I’m so glad,” he replied, reaching across the table to hand the cup to Shay, a faint giggle joining his grin, “though I doubt it compares to your Grandma’s Soul Stew! Did you ever manage to weasel the recipe out of her?”</p>
<p>	“As a matter of fact,” said Shay, a smirk gracing her perfect lips as she pulled out a slip of folded, torn paper, “I have something even better. I wrote the recipe down myself while she was making it, so you also have all the advice she gives along with each step!”</p>
<p>	“Hoo baby, yes!” Cheered Hunk, clasping Shay’s hand as his eyes shone brighter than any of the restaurant lights. “How can I ever repay you?”</p>
<p>	“Well, may I try this ‘Dutch Baby’ you ordered?”</p>
<p>	“You know what?” Said Hunk, shifting the plate between them and smiling softly. “Have as much as you want. We can split everything so that you get the chance to taste as much Earth food as you want.”</p>
<p>	Shay’s cheeks nearly pushed her eyes closed as she let out a squeal, smile engulfing her face and nearly melting Hunk through the floor. Letters were nothing compared to that perfect, glowing, <i>brighter-than-the-desert-sun-and-far-less-painful-to-stare-at</i> smile! How was he supposed to handle this angel who was shoveling eggs into her mouth like they were ambrosia, who smiled at him like he was the best of the universe, who had believed in him before he knew how to believe in himself?</p>
<p>	“Uh, Shay,” he managed, and she froze mid-bite, her eyes wide and sparkling like diamonds until Hunk’s tongue despaired and tied itself into a sailor’s knot. “Oh, no, you can finish eating! I just wanted to ask how Rax was doing after that skirmish with the scouts?”</p>
<p>	“Oh, he is fully recovered!” Promised Shay, swallowing a bowl of blueberries into her chipmunk cheeks. “Our medicine has progressed marvelously since we steadied our trading routes!”</p>
<p>	Hunk grinned like he didn’t want to faceplant into the nearest bowl of strawberries because <i>that was not what he wanted to say, quiznak!</i></p>
<p>	“That’s great! Is your niece’s back doing better, then?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Keith rubbed his eyes as Lance tore across the room, pounding on the keyboards to try and keep up with Matt and Coran’s vargaly flood of data, which was distinctly <i>not</i> what either of the Black Paladins had expected, much less wanted! Keith groaned, his eyes flitting to the clock as it clicked ever-closer to their dinner deadline, and Lance glanced up with a wince.</p>
<p>	“Sorry, man,” he apologized softly. “I’ll have it done by our meeting with Hedrick, promise. You want to organize our notes for that?”</p>
<p>	“Got it covered,” promised Keith, stepping to Lance’s side and knocking their shoulders together with a grin. “And you’ve got this covered, Sharpshooter. Just imagine it’s a checklist for the twins and Sylvio keeps crossing off <i>charging cords</i> even though he keeps forgetting to pack them.”</p>
<p>	Lance let out a snorting laugh, and Keith pressed a kiss to his cheek with a low chuckle. “You’ve got it.”</p>
<p>	“Of course I do!” Replied Lance, puffing up his chest and raising his chin a bit. “I’ll make sure he packs his charging cords, because <i>dios mios</i> does he hate car rides without headphones.”</p>
<p>	Keith hummed, pulling out his own tablet and skimming through flight reports regarding the simulators for Hunk’s latest upgrade.<br/>	“So, how’s coming out going?”<br/>	The moment the words were out of his mouth, Keith wondered if he could call up Allura and ask her to induce amnesia with her latest space princess magic! Lance’s shoulders folded over him, and he keysmashed as Ezor flailed to hang up.</p>
<p>	“Not great,” he admitted, the faintest trace of a growl under his words. “I tried at lunch yesterday, but the oven went off at the wrong time and, by the time she was back, I couldn’t get the words out. I…all I could hear was her saying that I wasn’t her son anymore. That I wasn’t…wasn’t <i>me</i> somehow.”</p>
<p>	Lance groaned, flopping over the table as his bottom lip jutted out. “I’ve been trying to do this for phoebs! Why isn’t it wooooooorking?”</p>
<p>	“We haven’t been here for a phoeb, Lance.”</p>
<p>	“I’ve been trying for what feels like phooooooooooooebs then!”</p>
<p>	Keith chuckled, rubbing his boyfriend’s shoulder in a small massage. He hadn’t ended up needing to come out to Mrs. Shirogane; she had known since she first met him, and had insisted since he came back that she meet Lance. When she mentioned that she wanted to get to know his boyfriend, he spit his Ramune across the table and she raised an eyebrow. <i>Did you think I didn’t notice? Keith, child, I’ve known since you first went to the Garrison! I am just glad I can finally call Lance your boyfriend now. So, what are his favorite foods?</i></p>
<p>	But Lance hadn’t exactly been so lucky. Keith had lost track of how many times Lance had desperately tried to tell his mom the truth, to tell his siblings, his kids, <i>anyone</i>, but it never seemed to make it out somehow. Whether it was someone else’s big news (from Marco’s early graduation to Luis’ marriage proposal to Veronica’s promotion), a small disaster (one of the kids tripping, Rachel calling with a flight delay, or a baseball literally crashing through the window), or something so random Lance would try to pull out his hair later (…don’t ask), he never got the chance.</p>
<p>	He never got his moment. And <i>that</i> was so familiar that Keith’s throat locked itself into a vice grip, but Lance just bowed his chin towards his work as his eyes glinted like lasers.</p>
<p>	“I’ll come out before the final battle,” promised Lance, the squeak of his spinning chair drowning out the opening of the door as he caught Keith’s hand and kissed his palm. “I have to introduce you to them as my boyfriend, after all.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“No, no, make the knot a bit looser. Like this.”</p>
<p>	“Oh, gracias! Papi always taught us the tightest knots!”</p>
<p>	“No wonder Lance was so good at stuff like that. Hey, Adam, what’s the code?”</p>
<p>	“Your least favorite number.”</p>
<p>	“Haha, no, seriously.”</p>
<p>	“I’m not joking.”</p>
<p>	“…That’s strangely vindicating.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“That was most delicious!” Cheered Shay as she walked out with Hunk, their hands just brushing and a green aura glowing off her skin. “Hunk, could you show me how to make some of those later?”</p>
<p>	“Uh, sure!” Cried Hunk, hopping down after her, his eyes straying to the park nearby. “Hey, how about we check out the gardens over here? I think you’ll really love some of those flowers.”</p>
<p>	“That sounds lovely!” Agreed Shay, and Hunk nearly choked as she seized his hand, smiling like pure sunshine. “Where should we begin?”</p>
<p>	“Shay,” blurted out Hunk, squeezing her hand, and screams echoed in his ears.</p>
<p>	Lance’s echoing cry for Keith as his boyfriend fought off corrupted quintessence in the astral plane, Keith’s roar as Lance took the explosion of a missile head-on with only a cracked shield and his own determination, and the vargas they had each spent in a healing pod after the Kral Zera. He could still remember every scratch they had faced, the way Lance waved off his near-death experiences with the Mevucs or how Keith shook off the fact that he had to get eaten by Red to avoid an ion cannon blast by a hair. Hunk had watched two of his best friends lay down their lives time and time again, throwing themselves headfirst into danger and taking the consequences with chins held high.</p>
<p>	They had faced down death thousands of times, hand-in-hand, bayards raised, and unflinchingly, like the risk was always worth it. Because, to them, it was.</p>
<p>	“Hunk?”</p>
<p>	“Shay, look, I’m a Paladin of Voltron. Risking our lives is kind of…in the job description. We don’t really have any guarantee we’ll make it out of any battle. Keith and Lance, especially. Those two basically run into danger, like it’s their best friend,” he added with an airy chuckle. “They act fearless, but they’re not. They’re both scared, constantly. We all are. Before I met you, I was scared of everything. I couldn’t handle the idea of fighting in space, of saving people, because I didn’t think it was possible. I never imagined I could make that kind of difference, that we could get this far.</p>
<p>“Shay, you changed all that. You let us into the Balmera, you showed me how many people were getting hurt by Zarkon. You taught me that sometimes, we don’t get to pick our battles, because there are some that we can’t walk away from without giving up on ourselves. Shay, everything we’ve accomplished…it’s because of you. Your crystals saved Lance’s life, kept our ship moving far from the Galra, and they always reminded me when I was wavering that you were out there, cheering me on. The fact that you believed in me, that means the world to me.</p>
<p>“And, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from Keith and Lance,” he continued, reaching out and cupping her hand with his free one, digging his feet into the ground and filling his lungs with air, “it’s that there are some things worth taking risks for, and love is one of them. You are one of them. Shay, I’ve liked you since I first met you, and I would really love to get to know you better…maybe as my girlfriend?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Would somebody,” snapped Luis, striding into the room with crossed arms and a thunderstorm on his brow, his scowl going pure black as the color fled from Lance’s face, “care to explain <i>exactly</i> what’s going on here?”</p>
<p>Veronica leaned against the doorway, eyebrows arched and arms folded, and Lance’s throat caved-in on itself as Marco and Rachel peered in as well. Luis’ jaw was locked as he approached his youngest brother, his eyes narrowed to slits, and <i>dios mio, they knew they knew theyknewtheyknewtheyknewtheykne—</i></p>
<p>“I…”</p>
<p>“It means I won the bet, suckers,” drawled Rachel, blowing the dust off her nails and passing the file over to Marco. “Pay up. I said he was dating Keith three years ago, I called it first.”</p>
<p>“Wha—”</p>
<p>“I said it when he walked off the ship, though!” Argued Marco, shoving Rachel’s shoulder lightly as his lips drew up into a pout. “I’m more accurate! By about three years!”</p>
<p>“I called it first though!”</p>
<p>Luis seethed, throwing both hands over his head and letting out a gut-wrenching groan that nearly sent him sprawling onto his back.</p>
<p>“I thought you were going to come back dating Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuunk,” he whined. “I bet twenty dollars on that one, come on!”</p>
<p>“WHAT?!”</p>
<p>“Hey, at least you’re not Veronica, who thought he was dating his pretty cosmos sister!”</p>
<p>“I don’t understand <i>space-lightning-plasma-tattoo-siblings</i> relationships, leave me alone!” Complained Veronica, smacking Marco’s arm and sulking. “Plus, anyone can tell she’s something special; obviously I want her in the family.”</p>
<p>Lance sputtered, arms flailing as Rachel snatched twenty dollars from her siblings with a flirtatious smirk, and Veronica sidled over to Keith. “Wanna see Lance’s early Garrison photos? The uniform was too big on him~”</p>
<p>“Show ‘em.”</p>
<p>“Vee!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, I think I just saw Papi!”</p>
<p>“What? Where?!”</p>
<p>“Ahh, don’t run too far!”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, Adam! We already rigged everything, and Lance is in there. We can join in on harassing him and Keith on getting to their one-month anniversary on time in a minute.”</p>
<p>“……”</p>
<p>“Yes, I realize the irony of what I said, shush.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shay’s eyes overflowed with tears as she pressed one hand to her mouth, her skin glowing supernova green and sending ripples of glitter dancing into a shimmering halo over her head. Hunk was pretty sure he forgot how to breathe before she squeezed his hands, pressing their foreheads together and gazing at him like he was everything perfect in the universe, so when she did <i>that—!</i></p>
<p>“Hunk Garrett,” breathed Shay. “I would be more than happy to be your girlfriend.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look at how excited he is to be finally flying!” Teased Veronica, zooming in on Lance’s face as he spun to face the camera, the wind tearing his hair free of his face as his grin burned up into electric-blue eyes. “We never thought we’d get him to come down.”</p>
<p>	“He’s always like that when he flies the Lions too,” added Keith, lips curving into a summer smile at the sight of his boyfriend. “That’s funny, he looks really familiar…”</p>
<p>	“You went to school with him for decaphoebs, Keith; of course he looks familiar,” deadpanned Adam, who had swooped in with Nadia and Sylvio in tow a few ticks ago.</p>
<p>	“No, he looks really familiar…”</p>
<p>	“I was so sure those guys were going to fall in loveeeeeeee,” whined Luis, and Shiro just shook his head as he patted the man’s broad shoulder. “I was so positive the spite would overpower his crushhhhhhhhh.”</p>
<p>	“Oh, so you already knew he had a crush?”</p>
<p>	“It was obvious with how much he was whining that <i>Keith didn’t notice me todayyyyyy, he’s so meaaaaaaaaan, I hate hiiiiiiiiiiiim</i>, dios mios!”</p>
<p>	Shiro snorted, a fond roll of his eyes accompanying his emphatic nods.</p>
<p>	“Nice to know all teenagers are the same when they’ve got a crush.”</p>
<p>	“Right?!”</p>
<p>	Lance swallowed, fireballs dancing behind his eyes as if trying to turn his tears to steam, and his shoulders eased back.</p>
<p>	He hadn’t lost them. He hadn’t lost his family.</p>
<p>	They knew. They had always known; it just didn’t change anything. He was their little brother, their papi, their…their Lance. He was part of their lives. Part of their futures. And <br/>they were happy being part of his world.</p>
<p>	“WAIT, LANCE LOOKS JUST LIKE TAYLOR!”</p>
<p>	“Keith, there was no Taylor in your class!”</p>
<p>	“Yeah, there is! He was the pretty, smart boy who was a good pilot and kept making that cute joke about threading the needle!”</p>
<p>	“……You thought my joke was cute?” Choked out Lance as if his shrill, strangled voice could somehow still be cheeky.</p>
<p>	“THAT WAS YOU?!</p>
<p>	“<i>YOU</i> WERE THE ONE I HAD TO LISTEN TO KEITH GAY-GUSHING OVER FOR VARGAS ON END?!” Shrieked Shiro as Adam dropped his face into both hands with a shoulder-heaving groan.</p>
<p>	Lance just cackled and waltzed over to pluck Nadia from Keith’s back, dropping a kiss into his spluttering boyfriend’s locks.</p>
<p>	“And on that note, I have to get the last of these files handled and <i>someone</i> needs dinner. I’ll send them to my laptop just in case.”</p>
<p>	Keith’s ears burned like twin volcanoes as his jaw snapped open and closed, and Lance dropped another kiss on his cheek as well because he could. Because almost his entire family was in the room and they were watching and <i>they didn’t mind, they didn’t care, it didn’t change anything</i>. His world hadn’t crumbled. Now he just had his mom to come out to. Oh GREAT.</p>
<p>	“OH, IF YOU THINK YOU’RE GETTING OFF EASILY FOR THE <i>VARGAS</i> I HAD TO LISTEN TO KEITH PINE—”</p>
<p>	“SHIRO, SHUT IT!”</p>
<p>	“…I have a video of him squealing about sparkly blue eyes at midnight over a bowl of ice cream to a dying Shiro.”</p>
<p>	“ADAM!”</p>
<p>	“Send me the pining fool!”</p>
<p>	“Don’t worry, Keith; I’ll send you the baby photos of Lance when he had braces.”</p>
<p>	“VEE!”</p>
<p>	“Veronica, you are a lifesaver.”</p>
<p>	“WAZIR! SHIROGANE!”</p>
<p>	“Wait, why are there—ARE THOSE FLAMING YARD FLAMINGOS?!”</p>
<p>	“Yep, uh, we might want to book it. Just keep an eye out for the caution tape. Oh, and—”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Hunk hummed, fingers interlaced with Shay’s as they danced through the park together, flower crowns rustling in their hair and hearts lighter than he had words for. It had been the perfect day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“I’M A BARBIE GIRL~<br/>	IN A BARBIE WORLD~”</p>
<p>	“Adam, you are an actual demon.”</p>
<p>	“And proud of it. Now, RUN!”</p>
<p>	“GET BACK HERE!”</p>
<p>	“You whipped creamed him?!”</p>
<p>	“Pied him, come on, I have class.”</p>
<p>	“What flavor did James get?”</p>
<p>	“Apple.”</p>
<p>	“……”</p>
<p>	“Lance, for my sanity, stop asking questions.”</p>
<p>	“Sure, babe. Just don’t forget our date tonight.”</p>
<p>	“Oh please,” scoffed Keith, pulling Lance into a kiss as they fled from the raging Iverson in a crowd of everyone who loved them enough to terrorize the Commander. “I’ve already got a bouquet lined up. Hope you like roses and forget-me-nots.”</p>
<p>	Lance nearly melted, locking their fingers together as they leapt aboard his hoverbike and revved the engine, blazing away from the shouting Iverson with a streak of laughter fading behind them. So much had changed in a month, and even more in a year. And Lance wouldn’t change a single tick of it.</p>
<p>	“Anything’s perfect as long as it’s from you, Samurai.”</p>
<p>	Keith grinned, revving the engine and racing off into the sunset with his boyfriend clinging to his back and whooping like a madman.</p>
<p>	“Right back at you, Sharpshooter.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“Do you think he already found the cucumber juice and cayenne pepper in his coffee?”</p>
<p>	“Nah, he wouldn’t have been able to speak, his vocal cords would be on fire.”</p>
<p>	“Mwahahaha. Soon then.”</p>
<p>	Adam and Shiro turned, clinking their cups of hot chocolate with the twins, who had maniacal grins on their faces. “And that, younglings, is how you wreak havoc at the Garrison. Did you take notes?”</p>
<p>	“We did one better,” cried Sylvio, jumping up and down as he took a sip of his marshmallows with hot chocolate. “We added oregano to his coffee too!”</p>
<p>	Shiro wiped away a tear.</p>
<p>	“Adam, our legacy lives on.”</p>
<p>	“Be gay, torment the Garrison?”</p>
<p>	“Be gay, torment the Garrison.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And, as the sun set over the playground, Hunk and Shay found the best seats in the house atop the monkey bars. Colors streaked across the sky, trails of sparkles flying after them, and Shay’s eyes nearly glowed in the light. Hunk slid his hand over hers, a soft smile dancing from his lips to hers, and the world was theirs in that tick.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Shay.”</p>
<p>“Thank <i>you</i>, Hunk.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Keith raised his orange juice glass, tapping it against Lance’s with a faint <i>clink</i>, and smiled as they leaned across the table for a kiss. The restaurant was classy but quiet, their Garrison uniforms more than enough to pass muster, even though Lance had insisted on buying him a pin for the collar. It was a moon pin, full and silver with golden craters dug in it, the match to Lance’s deep gold sun pin sparkling across from him. Lance giggled, his face lighting up as he interlaced their fingers on top of the table. Their plates were piled high with fried rice, udon, curry and, of course, tempura.</p>
<p>“To our one-month anniversary,” said Lance, bliss practically swimming in his sigh, and it took everything Keith had not to kiss the stars glowing in his boyfriend’s eyes.</p>
<p>“And to many more.”</p>
<p>Lance’s eyes lit up brighter than any sun, a laugh sparkling off his lips, and Keith relaxed against the table to just admire his boyfriend for a minute. Why not? He was free to look now, after all. They were free, together. And they would fight for all the time in the world.</p>
<p>“To infinite more,” agreed Lance, and they each took their first sips together.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. “Keep Watching Me” — Keith Kogane</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Oh. ‘Morning,” said Pidge, smiling up at Keith as she accepted the offered cup of coffee, the fingerless gloves sending a shot of warmth through Keith even when he felt so numb. “You doing okay?”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was raining. Keith thought that was fitting, to be honest, when he woke up to the steady pitter-pattering on the roof. His limbs were sore, like he had stayed up too late in the training room instead of laughing himself to sleep beside his boyfriend. At least they hadn’t waited an extra day to get together. This would have been a terrible first month anniversary. Not a fairy tale story at all.</p>
<p>	Keith groaned, dragging himself upright and sliding Lance gently down onto the bed. Lance was murmuring softly in his sleep, the faintest song on his lips, and Keith’s lips curled up in spite of himself. He reached out, brushing away the strands of hair blocking his boyfriend’s face from him, and cradled it dearly.</p>
<p>	“Thanks, Lance.”</p>
<p>	Keith pushed himself off the bed, and Lance’s hands slid after him, as if still searching for him. As if trying to bring him home.</p>
<p>	Keith thumped down the stairs, rubbing over his index finger with his thumb, and Shiro caught him at the stairwell with a cup of coffee in his hand.</p>
<p>	“Here,” said Shiro softly, placing a steadying hand on Keith’s shoulder and passing him the coffee. “Adam’s making breakfast, and Krolia’s picking up suits for everyone. She did a lot of research, I guess.”</p>
<p>	Keith nodded mutely, blowing on the coffee as Shiro carefully guided him to the kitchen.</p>
<p>	“Hey, Keith,” greeted Adam gently, sliding a plate of eggs and bacon in front of his usual chair, just enough that he might be able to stomach it maybe. “Pidge is already up;<br/>
she’s out front if you want to tell her that I’ve got her plate ready.”</p>
<p>	He was already spooning out a larger helping onto the aforementioned plate, though his hazel eyes remained soft on Keith’s, grounding him in this moment. Keith just nodded, stealing Pidge’s cup of coffee on his way out.</p>
<p>	“Oh. ‘Morning,” said Pidge, smiling up at Keith as she accepted the offered cup of coffee, the fingerless gloves sending a shot of warmth through Keith even when he felt so numb. “You doing okay?”</p>
<p>	Keith shrugged, plopping down beside her as the sun crept over the horizon. The faint bumps of Shay leaping to the roof to watch the sunrise despite the rain sounded like they were coming to him from underwater. Like none of it was real, like it was just a movie going on around him, like he was nothing more than an observer. It didn’t feel like his life, somehow. It felt like a trick, a lie, a dream he had to wake up from eventually, and today was the day it would happen. Like he was still that little kid whose father had just died, who woke up screaming away the nightmares, who burned brighter than any fire so that no one could touch him. It felt like a fantasy he had made to get through it, that he was a Paladin of Voltron, that he mattered. He had found a family, one who loved him, who sat with him when they couldn’t do anything else. His mother loved him, he had a space sister, and they were coming together finally. Shiro and Adam were engaged again, and still had their arms open for him. He was out, and Mrs. Shirogane had been excited to meet Lance. He was in love, and an angel loved him back.</p>
<p>	It was too good to be real.</p>
<p>	“Not a talking kind of day?” Asked Pidge, her voice soft even though it still jarred Keith so much he nearly fell off the stoop.</p>
<p>	Pidge just cackled like the little gremlin she was, taking a swig of coffee and sticking out her tongue at it.</p>
<p>	“Ech, he never gets the sugar right,” she muttered, but she continued to drink it as the rain poured down. “You want a bit of quiet?”</p>
<p>	Keith slid his finger along the rim of the cup, tilting his chin up and breathing in the sunset’s colors like they kept his heart beating. He loved quiet, had loved it since he was a kid, had loved the way it let his imagination draw out swooping stories, fantasies overflowing with stars, knights, lions, and just the barest sprinkle of love over all of it. It let him imagine the love he wanted, the one that was so perfect he knew it didn’t exist. He could abandon twisted reality for fiction in quiet. He could escape to a fairy tale in quiet.</p>
<p>	But silence was different. Silence drowned out everything else with screams, with memories, with everything he had ever said or done wrong, with all the things he wished had never happened. Everything that made him lose faith in himself.</p>
<p>	Keith shook his head, and Pidge hummed softly.</p>
<p>	“Okay, well, these gloves are freaking awesome,” she started, a grin spreading over her cheeks and curling into her eyes as Keith scooted closer and sipped his coffee. “They made the mission so much easier! I mean, typing with gloves is a menace, but you should have seen some  of these guys’ faces when I finished hacking their systems! They just stared at the computer like a ghost had infected their ship, it was hilarious! Ahhh, it was actually crazy fun being up there. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it was freaky being on Haggar’s ship and all, but,” she added, fingers tightening around the cup as she looked up at where the last of the stars were being eclipsed by the sun, hunger burning deep in her irises, “I felt like I belonged again. I was doing something that mattered, that no one else could do. So…so I finally get why you left for the Blade of Marmora. But I’m really glad you came back, because Voltron isn’t home without all of us.”</p>
<p>	<i>I know</i>, Keith wanted to say as he sipped his coffee, <i>I know because it wasn’t home without you or Allura or Matt or Coran. Voltron is our home; all of ours.</i></p>
<p>	“Still, I missed you guys up there,” admitted Pidge, smirking. “I even missed your stupid pining and Lance’s flirting. I missed you guys……Thanks for being here when I came back.”</p>
<p>	Keith smiled, wrapping an arm around Pidge and ruffling her hair from the back. Pidge shrieked, batting at his hands like a cat, and Black let out an amused rumble in the back of Keith’s mind, like a balm settling over his scars. And, as Lance trundled out to join them, Hunk’s heavy steps only a touch behind Allura’s sweeping taps, Keith grinned at his little space sister. After all, she had understood him without words once, she could do it again. Plus, the message was loud and clear. <i>We missed you too.</i></p>
<p>	It was in the way Lance squished between her and Keith, throwing an arm around both of them before he pressed the gentlest <i>good morning</i> kiss to Keith’s cheek. It was in Hunk juggling everyone’s plates outside, looking like the proudest waiter on the planet, and Allura’s swapping of Pidge’s coffee for her own, substantially sweeter one, before plopping down on Keith’s other side and promptly falling asleep on his shoulder. Lance chuckled, holding his family close with a sunshine smile, and Hunk trapped Pidge in a squawking bear hug because <i>Hu-nk, ca-can’t b-breathe!</i></p>
<p>	And Keith just smiled, sipping on his coffee as the rest of his family filtered out to join them. Somewhere along the line, this had become his favorite kind of quiet.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Keith straightened his suit, black dress shirt under the matching jacket, and fingerless gloves blending in. His hair fell down to his shoulders, brush discarded on the nearest table, and a soft knock sounded at the door. It sounded kind of like Lance’s, but only when Lance was so sleep-deprived he was tripping over his own feet, and Keith had made sure they got home with plenty of time to watch the movie together last night. Still, Keith knew he hadn’t slept well last night. Maybe Lance hadn’t either.</p>
<p>	Keith stepped over, opening the door with a nearly silent click and nearly jumping out of his skin when Mrs. McClain smiled at him from the other side.</p>
<p>	“Hola, querido,” she said gently, tilting her head with that smile that Lance always wore after a <i>hey, man</i>. “Shiro told me that you were having difficulty with your hair. Do not worry, I have tamed many a mane,” she teased, taking his hand and guiding him over to the mirror again, sweeping the brush into her hand and tapping the door shut, “and I know plenty about yours from my son. He has always been so particular about hair.”</p>
<p>	Keith bit his lip, eyes flitting anywhere other than hers in the mirror, but Mrs. McClain didn’t so much as blink at the lack of response as she began to brush out his tangles. “Did you know that he cried when he came to America about the change in brands? He was so upset.”</p>
<p>	She chuckled, shaking her head. “Though I doubt that was all that hurt. But, still, it was quite cute. He has always been so good to others, I tried to train him into also being good to himself, but I think he just did it so I wouldn’t get upset,” she admitted, shaking her head before brightening up, flipping up his hair and tackling the underside, “but that seems to have changed for the better! He may still insist upon working himself into the ground, but now…now he has a bed on that ground that he can rest on. You have all given my son so much,” she continued, her eyes catching the light of the room as she brushed in his sides too, “and you have especially. You should hear Lance talk about you sometime, it is truly heartwarming how much that boy loves you.”</p>
<p>	Keith ducked his chin, trying to hide the strawberries on his cheeks, but Mrs. McClain tsked behind him. “Querido, I’ll need you to raise your chin so that I can brush out the top; you are far taller than me,” she coaxed, and Keith licked his desert lips for a tick before glancing up again. “Much better, thank you, querido. Now, where was I?” She murmured to herself, running her fingers through his hair and tucking it back as she filled the room with a steady, warm stream of chatter. “Oh yes, don’t worry, he has nothing but praise for you. From what I have gathered, you have a reckless streak, but a kind heart. You are not good with words, but you try harder than anyone else to get them right. You are brave and true to your word,” she continued, and Keith’s throat closed up as tears pricked at his eyes, his fingers clenching into trembling fists because <i>she was definitely Lance’s mom, only the McClains could ever make him feel like this</i>, “and you love this world even if you wish you didn’t at times. You have a remarkable capacity for love, mijo. You remind me of Lance in that way.”</p>
<p>	She snapped a hair tie around the high, poofy ponytail, and placed her hands on her hips with a little toss of the head that perfectly mirrored her son’s. Keith smiled, a single tear racing down his cheek, and his heartbeat seeming to catch up to the present for a second. Just for that moment, he felt like he was here, not trapped in that desert shack, waiting for his dad to come back home. Just for that tick, he felt a Paladin of Voltron, like one of two Black Paladins, like Lance’s boyfriend, like Pidge, Hunk, Matt, and Allura’s brother, like Shiro and Adam’s annoying little bro, like Coran’s nephew, Krolia’s son, and Acxa’s space brother, like part of a constantly growing family. He felt like he belonged.</p>
<p>	“Hey, Keith,” called Lance, pushing open the door and grinning when he saw his mom already there. “Oh! ¡Hola, Mami! ¿Cómo estás?”</p>
<p>	“Bien, ¿y tú, mijo?”</p>
<p>	“Bien, gracias. Have you left Keith with enough hearing for me to throw bad puns at him, or do I need to find some ears of corn to replace his?”</p>
<p>	Keith rolled his eyes, but Mrs. McClain tapped her chin slowly, and Lance shifted his weight, watching her with that tilt to his lips that always warmed Keith’s heart. Mrs. McClain hummed, switching to tapping her cheek, and Lance continued to smile at her, hands hidden behind his back as he waited.</p>
<p>	“Oh! I’ve got it! Ears are a measurement of corn! Oh, but I thought stalks were?”</p>
<p>	“Stalks have multiple ears of corn on them; what we eat are considered the ears,” explained Lance, stashing something in his belt and then opening his arms for a hug. “¡Así se hace, Mami!”</p>
<p>	Mrs. McClain chuckled, pulling Lance into her arms and planting kisses on each of his cheeks. “Gracias, Leandro.”</p>
<p>	<i>Leandro?!</i></p>
<p>	“De nada, Mami. Now, I’ve got to finish getting Keith ready. Te quiero, Mami.”</p>
<p>	“Te quiero, Lance.”</p>
<p>	Mrs. McClain crushed Keith in a quick hug before bustling from the room, closing the door nearly silently on her way out. Lance’s eyes lingered on where she had been, the soft smile on his lips turning bright when he looked over at Keith.</p>
<p>	“Now, mister,” he teased, holding up a red tie and flashing Keith a sunflower grin, “let’s get you looking like a gentleman!”</p>
<p>	Well, <i>let’s</i> turned out to be a figure of speech, because Lance did everything. He grabbed gold cufflinks and snapped them through Keith’s sleeves (“Yeah, it seems like Rachel is looking forward to Lotor coming back, apparently he has a nice sense of fashion too”), folded down his collar (“Did you know that Pidge hacked some of Haggar’s droids to do the chicken dance?), and pulled the tie just tight enough that he wasn’t choking Keith (“Turns out Iverson’s office got covered in post-it notes by someone; and I thought I was the master prankster!”) before he slid chapstick over Keith’s cracked lips through a gentle kiss.</p>
<p>	“Stay with me, okay, Samurai?” He murmured, dropping an extra kiss to Keith’s lasilh. “Stay right here with us.”</p>
<p>	Keith swallowed, clasping Lance’s hand, and nodded. Lance gave him one of those smiles that made his heart ache, and pressed his lips to Keith’s forehead. “You ready to go?”</p>
<p>	<i>Never. I’ll never be ready.</i></p>
<p>	Keith nodded.</p>
<p>	Lance scooped Keith up into his arms, a grin bouncing across his lips, and smooched his frozen boyfriend’s forehead in response.</p>
<p>	“Then let’s get this show on the road, partner.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	If Keith had been numb and floating away all day, the moment he set foot on the graveyard, the earth grabbed him and slammed him back down to his father’s death. Ten years wasn’t long enough to take away the dust in his throat as he ran out to scream for his father, it wasn’t enough for him to forget the cold that pierced his marrow, it wasn’t long enough to take away the feel of his father’s hand on his shoulder the last time he left, promising to come back and stick stars all over Keith as well as his collage. He had left his gloves with Keith, insisting that he got new ones and, even though they never truly fit until this year, Keith had never taken them off.</p>
<p>	He had never taken his father out of his life.</p>
<p>	“Keith,” reminded Shiro softly, one hand falling on his shoulder as Adam took the other side, his darker hand just as warm. “We’ve got you.”</p>
<p>	Keith blew out a slow breath, any words he could muster dying before they made it to his lips, but Lance still smiled softly at him as he adjusted a bouquet of irises. Keith’s dad’s favorite flower.</p>
<p>	Krolia’s hand slid onto Keith’s back between his shoulder blades, and he twisted to look up at her. She had ditched the Blade uniform for a black evening gown with off-shoulder sleeves and a slightly flared skirt; Keith’s dad had saved it away for when she came back. Keith wished she had gotten the chance to dance with him in it. Her eyes were glazed, her lip trembling and a thin veil of tears spreading over her irises as she looked towards Tex’s grave. Keith reached out on instinct, snagging Krolia’s free hand and squeezing it tightly. He knew that pain. He knew that pain all too well.</p>
<p>	Because, the Lance that was unloading everyone’s bouquets, who giggled at a joke when he passed Allura her amaryllises, who poked Pidge’s forehead as he handed over her tulips, who embraced Hunk before giving him his poppies, who finger gunned at Coran before passing over his daffodils, who threw smiles at Keith whenever he got the chance, that was the same Lance that the crypods had memorized. It was the same Lance who had nearly died so many times.</p>
<p>	And Keith knew, painfully well, that he could easily have been in Krolia’s position a thousand times over by now. He still could before this war was over.</p>
<p>	“Let us go,” murmured Krolia, the cracks spreading through her voice like an earthquake, “I have missed him.”</p>
<p>	Shiro and Adam glanced at Keith. Hunk trotted over, Pidge hot on his heels, and Allura swept to his side just a tick before Coran. He couldn’t help a small smile at each of them. Hunk with his golden pocket square and Pidge with her green bow tie, Allura with a pink lining to her black gown, and Coran with an orange dress shirt underneath the black jacket. Shiro had blue gloves on, Adam had a bronze watch, and Lance had a glowing smile on in addition to the matching necklace still bouncing against his shirt and Keith’s hand tight in his.</p>
<p>	None of them were going to leave him in pure blackness after all.</p>
<p>	So Keith took a deep breath, squeezed Krolia and Lance’s hands, smiled gratefully to Shiro and Adam, and blew out a painful huff. It had nothing on the wind that carried away Keith’s tears that night.</p>
<p>	He stepped towards the grave, and his family followed. Keith had almost never been to the grave after the funeral; it hurt too much to come back, especially since all he could do was cry in front of it. He had never once been able to utter the words <i>I’m okay</i> or <i>don’t worry about me</i> without dissolving into tears. No way his dad wanted to see that. But this…this, Keith wanted him to see.</p>
<p>	Keith wanted his dad to see his wife, his half-daughter, and his son kneeling in front of his grave to clean it together, regardless of the rain. He wanted his dad to see Lance light the incense, protecting it with his hands as the soft murmur of <i>alabanza a don Tex</i> nearly sent Keith into a flurry of tears. And, more than anything, he wanted his dad to see Allura place her amaryllises on his grave and kneel to speak.</p>
<p>	“I wish I could have had the honor of knowing you,” she said, her eyes glittering a little from the rain. “Because then I wouldn’t need to tell you how amazing your son is. Keith is not only our leader, he is our friend, he is our family, and he is in all of our hearts. I know you would be proud of him. We certainly are.”</p>
<p>	She smiled at Keith, taking his hand and squeezing it softly. “Thank you for giving us such an incredible brother.”</p>
<p>	Keith choked on his words, tears spilling down his cheeks, and Allura rose to wipe them gently with the heel of her palm, understanding soft in her touch. “We couldn’t have asked for anything more.”</p>
<p>	Hunk set his poppies down, placing a hand on the grave and lowering his head in respect.</p>
<p>	“Your son is not just a hero, sir, he’s also our hero. He comes back to us every day, no matter how hard the battle, with his head held high. He taught me how to do that without even knowing it. No matter how dire the situation, he never gave up and he never backed down. Everything that he is, <i>he has made himself into</i>.”</p>
<p>	Hunk grinned up at Keith. “And he made himself into a great friend and brother.”</p>
<p>	Keith ran out of vision partway through Hunk’s words and, by the time he was crushed by one of Hunk’s patented hugs, all he could do was sob and cling to his brother. “You’ve done a good job, bud.”</p>
<p>	Pidge sneaked past, crouching to lay her tulips down before glancing up at the grave.</p>
<p>	“Uh hi,” she managed, red stealthing its way into her cheeks. “I’m Pidge. Keith is kind of like an older brother to me and, um……” She swallowed, sighing, and turned to crook up a smile at Keith. “He knows I’m bad at this, but he doesn’t use that as an excuse to write me off. He never gave up on trying to understand me and all my technical gibberish, and he’s always been there for me when I need him. So…thanks. If it weren’t for you, I never would have met Keith, and that would really, really hurt. I don’t like the idea of a life without Keith. None of us do.”</p>
<p>	Pidge popped up to latch onto Keith, her face buried in his stomach as if promising him she couldn’t see his tears even if he could hear her muffled words. “He’s our brother and we would rewrite the universe to make him happy.”</p>
<p>	Keith could feel again. The numbness seeped away, crushed out of him with every hug and kind word, every promise that he was loved, that he had a family here, that his father had so much to be proud of him for, every pair of beautiful, perfect eyes turning to him with unmistakable trust and care. It was everything he had never imagined he would get, and yet…here it was, trapping him in hugs and wiping away his tears.</p>
<p>	It didn’t matter, he couldn’t see anything with his glasses drenched by the rain. He didn’t need to, though. He knew his family better than he knew his own heart.</p>
<p>	He knew that Matt would set the peonies down with the softest touch, and that he would trace Tex’s name on the gravestone because it was the greatest mark of respect at a Rebellion funeral. It was a salute to a hero.</p>
<p>	“You dedicated your life to saving people, to protecting them,” said Matt, bowing his head slightly, “and you have, more than you know. That legacy is one that Keith carries with him. Someday, you know, you’ll get to look down and say that your son is one of the Paladins of Voltron, Defenders of the Universe, and Saviors of All Realities. But, even more than that, one day, you’ll get to look down and say that your son is happy. We’ll make sure of it.”</p>
<p>	He stood up, embracing Keith tightly, and pulling back to squeeze his shoulders. “I’m proud to call him my friend, and I look forward to calling him my brother.”</p>
<p>	<i>I look forward to it too, Matt.</i></p>
<p>	“He is one of the finest paladins I have ever had the honor to meet,” said Coran, settling the daffodils with a slight fluff. “And I am proud to call myself his family. He is like a nephew to me, and I cherish every tick I get with him. I hope you’re watching from above, if you humans can, because there is so much that he has done that I can’t even begin to explain, and I certainly can’t explain how proud I am of him. Not just as a paladin, but as a person. He has come so far, and he will go even further, I am sure of it.”</p>
<p>	Keith practically fell into his arms, sobs wracking his shoulders. <i>I’ll go there because you have my back, Coran.</i></p>
<p>	Acxa lay down a bouquet of roses, settling her hands together in prayer, and bowing her head.</p>
<p>	“I wish I could have gotten the chance to meet you,” she said simply. “I can tell just by looking at Keith that you were an amazing father.”</p>
<p>	At that, Keith’s knees gave way, and if it weren’t for Shiro and Adam’s dives, he would have sunk to the ground in a lump of tears. He dropped his face into his hands, sobs tearing through his lungs, and Shiro tucked him into his chest with a soft <i>shhhhhh</i>. Adam carded his hands through Keith’s hair, and Keith nearly choked on tears when Krolia squeezed his shoulder, concern ricocheting through her eyes. No one had ever said that. Teachers, students, people on the streets, friends, foster families, all of their comments about Keith’s dad were that he <i>must have raised you in a dump</i> or <i>must not have taught you what was right or wrong</i> or <i>never was around</i> or <i>didn’t love you</i> or <i>would be ashamed of you</i> because Keith wasn’t enough, wasn’t good enough, was never enough, <i>could never compare to his dad—</i></p>
<p>	“Hey, man,” called Lance, somehow slipping into the pile of paladins surrounding Keith to cup his cheek. “Hey, stay with me. Remember? Stay with me. We’ve got you. We’re not going to leave you alone.”</p>
<p>	Adam bit his lip, then loosened his tie and stood up.</p>
<p>	“Keith,” he whispered. “You’re going to want to keep your eyes open for this.”</p>
<p>	And, as Keith raised his head, Adam knelt in front of Tex’s grave and pulled down his collar just enough to reveal a new pendant on the necklace that had once held his engagement ring.</p>
<p>	“Your son isn’t alone,” he promised, removing the necklace and popping open the pendant as if Keith’s dad could see him through the grave. “He will always have the chance to be someone’s son, to be our son, to be our little brother and our family. Keith loves you and, when he loves, he loves deeply. So I’m not going to say he’ll ‘get over’ your death because no one just ‘gets over’ losing their father,” he said, his voice cracking a touch on that part, “but I can promise you that we’ll be there with him, that we’ll make sure that the life he has to live with your death also has beautiful things in it. We’ll be sure he still has a family, no matter where he goes. Keith will always have a home to come back to.”</p>
<p>	Adam stood, stepping back over to Keith’s side, and slid the necklace just below his tie, the pendant still popped open to reveal a family photo of Shiro and Adam with Keith between them, arms around each other, that they had taken decaphoebs ago to celebrate his promotion to fighter pilot. Keith let out a watery laugh, and Adam knelt beside his little brother to take him into his arms. He smiled at his fiance and nodded his head towards the grave. This wasn’t only for Keith’s dad, this was also for Keith. He deserved to, for once, be told exactly how much he meant to all of them. They could show it forever, and they would, but being family meant taking it the extra mile. After all, Keith knew they were family, but now it was time to show him exactly what kind of family they were.</p>
<p>	Shiro knelt in front of Tex’s grave, setting his carnations atop the grave before placing a hand over his heart, fingers grazing the vest Keith had given him so long ago. He bent his head, his eyes catching raindrops, and smiled softly.</p>
<p>	“You must have meant the world to him,” he murmured. “I’ve heard so many stories about you. Keith has spent his whole life protecting the name you gave him, carrying on the Kogane family name and shielding it no matter the cost. And I can easily say he’s more than succeeded. I think I speak for all of us when I say that, after all this time, it feels like there’s a small piece of Kogane in me. Everything that your name stood for, he has passed on. Keith is brave and kind, he’s resourceful, but is learning to rely on others, and he’s the greatest brother I could ever ask for. No matter how many times he’s had to save me, he’s risen to the challenge, and I can only promise to always be there for him. I’m never giving up on him, none of us are, and,” he added, smiling over at Keith’s mood-wide violet eyes, slowly drying, “neither is he. Never again.”</p>
<p>	Keith hiccuped, lurching to his feet and reaching out for Shiro just a tick before getting swept into a hug by his brother. Shiro cradled Keith’s head close to his chest, and Keith buried his streaming eyes in his brother’s suit as Shiro soothed him softly. Pidge elbowed Lance, whose blue eyes were trapped on his sobbing boyfriend.</p>
<p>	“Go on, you need to pay your respects,” she reminded him, but Lance only bit his lip and glanced back at Keith. “Hey, it’s okay. He’ll be okay. Keith’s tougher than he looks right now.”</p>
<p>	Lance chuckled, the sound fracturing in his throat, but Pidge just punched his shoulder and raised her fist towards him challengingly. “Trust in him. Now go, he would want his dad to meet his future husband.”</p>
<p>	Lance’s cheeks blazed more than the Red Lion, and Pidge snickered as he leapt to his feet with the faintest of hisses.</p>
<p>	“I’m going to put marshmallows in your hot chocolate for a week.”</p>
<p>	“I’ll throw them at your head.”</p>
<p>	“Gremlin.”</p>
<p>	“Ogre.”</p>
<p>	Lance stuck out his tongue at her, and Pidge pulled down her eyelid before shooing him off towards the grave. He spun the thin bouquet of irises between his fingers for a tick before raising his chin and striding over to Tex’s grave. Keith blinked at his boyfriend as Lance sank to his knees in front of his dad’s grave, mud seeping into his pants, and a memory flooded his brain. One they had shared. Lance screaming and pounding the <i>help</i> button at a hospital as he clutched his father’s hand, tears pooling in his eyes as he begged his dad to hold on, to wait because he was going to go to the Garrison, he was going to get married and have kids, he was going to make him proud—then it always switched to black suits and Lance’s mother crying—to Veronica hugging Lance as tears streamed silently down his face—</p>
<p>	“La—”</p>
<p>	“I really hope you’re watching from up there,” said Lance, all smiles washed away in the rain, “because Keith isn’t done. He’s going to keep moving forward, doing incredible things and saving people, making a life so crazy that our kids will think he’s joking. He’s just going to keep going, he’s never going to give up because <i>that’s who Keith is</i>. He doesn’t do anything by halves,” started Lance, the faintest hitch in his voice as he turned to lock cerulean eyes with Keith, tears gathering at the edges of them even as he finally showed off that sunshine smile during a storm. “He throws his all into everything, he always has, and he never gives up once he decides to do something. He’s talented but doesn’t take it for granted, he’s kind but not stupid about it, and he’s one of the most loyal people I know.”</p>
<p>Lance smiled, shoving himself to his feet just in time to catch Keith’s tackle hug and murmur the last words into Keith’s ear. “He has an amazing capacity for love. The most amazing capacity I’ve ever seen. And I’m grateful every day that you chose to share that love with me.”</p>
<p>Keith clung to Lance, tears drowning anything he could hope to say in response, but Lance just pulled him into his arms again. “Come on, Samurai. Let’s give you a chance to breathe, okay?”</p>
<p>Keith jerked his head in the closest thing to a nod he could manage, and Lance bent down to snag the lapel of his suit in his teeth and pull it out just enough that his boyfriend could snuggle under the makeshift umbrella. “Come on, Prince Charming, I’ve got you.”</p>
<p>Lance passed Krolia as he carried Keith back to Shiro and Adam, his eyes darting up to lock with her violet ones.</p>
<p>“We’ve got you too,” he swore. “Adam lost Shiro too, albeit temporarily. You’re not alone with us.”</p>
<p>Krolia’s concrete jawline softened just a touch, her eyebrows creeping up along with the edge of her lips.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Lance.”</p>
<p>Lance just smiled as he strode back to the cluster of his family alongside the graves, their arms already open and waiting. Keith slid out of Lance’s grasp though, feet splashing to the ground and hand finding Lance’s.</p>
<p>Krolia crouched in front of Tex’s grave, a half-smile on her face even as her tears mingled with the rain.</p>
<p>“Long time no see,” she said softly, shaking her head with a bell laugh dying in the air. “I’m back. Keith’s doing great, and I found Acxa. The war’s nearly over. It’s nearly over…” she repeated, voice cracking as if someone had shot her and the faint giggle that followed sounded like her heart had been ripped out. “It’s nearly over, but after all this time, I still don’t have you. I guess you weren’t mine to have, then. You were Keith’s, though. So, thank you for staying with him. I see so much of you in him,” she added, turning streaming eyes on her son as her lips curled into a sweet, proud smile. “I see everything good about you in him. He has my temper though, sorry about that.”</p>
<p>Keith let out a watery chuckle, and Lance wiped away his tears as Krolia continued. “Remember what I told you when I left? We gave me that haircut right before takeoff, and I promised I would grow out just a little bit, just enough for you to braid when I got back? I promised you that, no matter what, I wouldn’t cut it so that, when I came back, I could give it to you. It would be the rope binding us together until our hands could again.”</p>
<p>Lance reached for his jacket pocket without thinking about it. Krolia just shook her head, tears leaking from under her lids as she trembled. Then, quick as lightning, she snatched her blade from her pocket, extending it into a sword and pulling the ponytail taut. Eyes glinting a sharp yellow in the rain, mouth locked in a firm line, and the ghost of her husband’s touch on her hand, Krolia slashed off the hair she had grown so long for the man she would always love. Strands danced in the rain, like the traces of love she had watched flit through her fingers so long ago, and vanished away on the wind.</p>
<p>Krolia twirled the sword back into a knife, shoving it into her pocket. And, the faint warmth of her Tex’s hands on her own for the final time, she laid her ponytail at the grave alongside the garden of flowers.</p>
<p>And, tears still cascading down her cheeks, she smiled like the sun was about to come up, and let her fingers trail over his name. “Here’s your end of the rope, Tex. I’ll grow out another one over here and, someday, we’ll tie them together again. I’ll see you on the other side. Until then, I’ll stay with our son and daughter. That way, when I come to see you, I’ll get to tell you exactly how incredible they turned out to be. I already have so many stories.”</p>
<p>Keith sucked in an unsteady breath as he joined Krolia in front of the grave, kneeling to smile at his dad. Krolia patted his shoulder, pulling him in just enough to kiss the top of his head before stepping away. She was greeted with a hug from Adam and a gentle hand on her shoulder from Shiro that she sank into gratefully. They had spent phoebs floating through space together, after all. She trusted them just as much as they trusted her.</p>
<p>Keith swallowed quietly as he looked at the flowers piled in front of his father’s grave, at all of the words singing around it, and all the touches his family had left behind. He could feel their love in the very air around the grave, flowing around him and tugging at the words that had been lodged in his throat all quintant until they finally tumbled out.</p>
<p>“I love you,” whispered Keith, smile breaking free across his lips as he wiped the final traces of his tears dry. “I love you so much, and I’ll always miss you. But just…keep watching me, okay? I’ve still got a lot I want to show you. After all,” he added, turning to the family that stood waiting for him in a drenched graveyard during the middle of a war, eyes overflowing with love and arms always open with trust and compassion, “this is just our beginning. And I’d love to take you along for the ride. Because everyone here is everything they’ve said today about me and more.”</p>
<p>Maybe Zarkon would attack tomorrow. Maybe they would all be blown up and die, maybe the public relations event in a few days would go badly, maybe things wouldn’t be perfect. But this here? Right now? Keith blew out a soft breath and looked up to the sky. “Keep watching me; I’ve finally got a life I really want you to see, okay?”</p>
<p>And if he felt the fleeting warmth of a hand on his back, he was sure it was only his imagination. Or Black.</p>
<p>“Who wants to get lunch?” Managed Keith, smiling over at his family.</p>
<p>“CUDDLE PILE!”</p>
<p>	“Wait, Hunk, it’s raini—”</p>
<p>	“TACKLE HUG!”</p>
<p>“Lance!”</p>
<p>“SNUGGLESSSS!”</p>
<p>Keith burst out laughing, crushed under the weight of his family’s love, and the laughter spread through the little heap until, in the middle of a rainstorm, a little patch of sunshine glowed over a grave. And, overhead, Keith swore he caught sight of his favorite star smiling down on him. He slid his fingers into Lance’s.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he breathed. “Keep watching, Dad. I want you to see me happy.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
<p>Hola, querido = Hello, dear</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. “Just Turn Your Eyes to the Stars Because There’s a Whole Pride of Paladins Up There Who Believe in You” — Lance McClain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“This isn’t about what she deserves!” Snapped Keith, striding forwards and snatching Lance’s helmet from his hands. “This isn’t about her or me or your siblings or anyone else! This is about <i>you</i>, Lance! Your coming out story is your own, and only you get to decide when and how you want to do it. Don’t come out for anyone but yourself.”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lance groaned, pushing past the suit he had worn to visit the grave a few quintants ago in order to reach his paladin armor. He, Shiro, and Adam were the only ones who hadn’t needed new suits for the occasion; the one he had worn so many years ago to his father’s funeral only needed some tailoring from his mom to bring it up to his full height. Keith had barely spoken the whole day, uttering a few words to his Voltron family on occasion, and Lance had hidden any remaining paperwork from his boyfriend until he had fallen asleep, tears staining Lance’s lap. Shiro had raised an eyebrow as Lance reached over his boyfriend, one hand still carding through his thick black locks while the other started scratching out new battle formations based on the incoming data.</p>
<p>	“You sure about that?”</p>
<p>	“The formation?” Lance had whispered, tilting his head up. “Yeah, it seems solid. I mean, I’ll have Keith check it when he feels up to it, but, yeah. It covers all our weaknesse—”</p>
<p>	“Not that,” cut off Shiro, his eyes flitting to the steady rise and fall of Keith’s chest. “I mean working without him. He worries, you know.”</p>
<p>	Lance had bit his lip, scratching lightly at Keith’s scalp and earning the faintest rumble of a purr from his boyfriend. His heart <i>melted</i>.</p>
<p>	“I do too. And he needs rest without stress.”</p>
<p>	Lance stood by that decision, even though that meant that the public relations event was today and Keith hadn’t checked out the battle plans. Zarkon and Haggar could be here any day now, and they couldn’t risk standing by with outdated formations, but that didn’t mean he was going to force his boyfriend to deal with this right now. They were the Black Paladins; they took the wheel together most of the time, hand over hand, but they also covered for each other when life got to be too much. After all, they weren’t just the Black Paladins, they were also Lance and Keith, two people who had always been magnetic. They had spent their whole lives circling around each other, their similarities clashing and their opposites balancing each other out before they could actually take each other by the hand. A good team, always a good team. <i>Maybe,</i> Lance reflected as he finished suiting up, <i>it's because if there’s one thing we have in common, it's a protective streak a Castleship wide.</i></p>
<p>	And that extended to each other.</p>
<p>“Lannnnnnce?” Growled Keith, pushing the door open and sticking his head in to glare at his partner. “Care to explain why the plans got changed last night and I wasn’t informed?”</p>
<p>“Hey man,” greeted Lance, tucking his helmet under his arm and grinning at his boyfriend. “I wanted to give you some time to breathe, figured I’d okay the plans with you after today’s conference. How are you doing?”</p>
<p>Keith scowled, stepping inside and shoving the door closed behind him with the familiar <i>clink</i> of his paladin armor. Lance just smirked.</p>
<p>“If you don’t keep all of us informed and Zarkon just decided to attack last night, that could have been a serious problem, Lance!”</p>
<p>“We have a mind link; it would take me three ticks to run the plan by you.”</p>
<p>“And if I had to make revisions?”</p>
<p>“Black speeds things up. We’d be alright, we always are.”</p>
<p>Keith folded his arms, pouting, and Lance chuckled. “Sorry, love. I just…I know how much grave visits can drain a person. You deserve the time to process and breathe, and I’ll be quiznaked if I don’t give you that.”</p>
<p>Keith sighed, shaking his head and rubbing at his hair as his lips drew themselves into a long line.</p>
<p>“Thanks,” he finally managed, blowing out a long breath. “I <i>did</i> need that. But, next time, keep me in the loop, okay? You need time to…to come out to your mom before we leave too, and <i>I’ll</i> be quiznaked if I don’t give that to you.”</p>
<p>Lance’s smile dissolved, his fingers tightening around the helmet and heels digging into the ground with a faint giggle that resembled a bird who was three ticks away from meeting an airplane.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that,” he said, his words distorted by shredded chuckles. “Yeah, I was thinking of asking Vee to tell her. I…don’t know if I can. I just can’t ever seem to make the words come out, and…and she deserves to know. She deserves the truth.”</p>
<p><i>She deserves more than I can give her</i> hung unsaid in the air, and Keith’s sclera lit up a lantern yellow.</p>
<p>“This isn’t about what she deserves!” Snapped Keith, striding forwards and snatching Lance’s helmet from his hands. “This isn’t about her or me or your siblings or anyone else! This is about <i>you</i>, Lance! Your coming out story is your own, and only you get to decide when and how you want to do it. Don’t come out for anyone but yourself.”</p>
<p>Keith slid Lance’s helmet over his head, pressing a soft kiss to the visor with a tender smile. “Now, you ready, Sharpshooter?”</p>
<p>Lance adjusted the helmet before drawing in a deep breath, lacing his fingers through Keith’s, and plopping his boyfriend’s helmet on too.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Let’s go show Earth exactly what Voltron’s made of!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright everyone, please welcome the Paladins of Voltron!” Announced Sam Holt, throwing out his arm across the stage amid a storm of applause, and Lance abruptly realized that Voltron was made up of a bunch of teenagers with stage fright because <i>no one was bloody moving</i>.</p>
<p>“We’ve got this, just follow me and Lura’s lead,” he hissed, catching Keith’s hand in his and raising his chin high, cerulean eyes catching the sunlight and battle grin breaking across his lips as he strode across the stage.</p>
<p>He raised one hand in a greeting, waving to the roaring crowd, and Keith swallowed down the desire to dive under the table and hiss at anyone who came near him until this whole thing was over. Allura swept behind them, her shoulders raised and Altean markings shimmering under the stage lights as she maintained a vice grip on Hunk’s hand, giving him no choice but to shuffle out after her. Every one of Pidge’s muscles had locked like metal, keeping her rooted behind the curtains, but Shiro just wrapped an arm around her shoulders with a glowing smile and dragged her out along with himself. Lance wondered if he could slam his head through the table and not look suspicious. At least Matt gave in gracefully and filed out between Coran and Adam like he was being escorted to his death.</p>
<p>	Lance felt like this might be the universe’s very stark reminder of why he and Allura handled negotiations and as much of Voltron’s press as they could.</p>
<p>	“Alright, thank you for being here today,” said Mr. Holt, tossing a wink at Pidge that eased back her shoulders. “First off, we have the Black Paladins, leaders of Voltron and co-pilots of the Black Lion, Keith Kogane and Lance McClain!”</p>
<p>	The crowd roared, and Keith bit back a wince as he nodded while Lance finger-gunned at his family, who had weaseled their way in. Nadia had stolen Marco’s shoulders while Sylvio waved frantically atop Luis’, and Veronica returned the finger guns. Rachel giggled, whooping as her brother smiled at them from the stage, and Mrs. McClain blew her youngest son a kiss. Keith felt Lance’s fingers unclench around his on the chair, and his breath caught in his throat. Mrs. Shirogane was waving at him, pride sparkling in her eyes as the jacket he had given her for her birthday right before Shiro’s disappearance flapped with every movement.</p>
<p>	“Next up, we have the Red Paladin, the right hand of Voltron and Crown Princess of Altea, Allura Melenor.”</p>
<p>	Allura waved, chin raised and smile soft as she rubbed circles into the back of Pidge’s hand under the table. The two of them had become a lot closer ever since she started helping Pidge handle her discomfort with the comet. Pidge squared her shoulders, and Hunk patted her knee.</p>
<p>	“Continuing, we have the Green Paladin, the programming heart of the team and…”</p>
<p>	Mr. Holt continued in this vein down the line, introducing each of the paladins into a roar of applause from the audience, and giving them time to wave and smile as their families whooped ecstatically. But Lance doubted it had anything to do with their titles or the fact that they were on this stage, it was just that someone had finally confirmed for them that this was no dream, had promised to them that this was real. It wasn’t just an illusion to help them cope or pass the time; this was real. They were home. The Paladins of Voltron were <i>home</i>.</p>
<p>	“And, finally, this is Admiral Krolia Kogane, second-in-command of the Blade of Marmora and one of the universe’s top spies!”</p>
<p>	Acxa raised a hand from the crowd, her shoulder brushing Shay’s, and Krolia’s eyes crinkled at the edges while James’ jaw dropped. Lance smirked; looks like that guy was starting to learn not to mess with <i>any</i> of the Paladins. Good. Maybe, underneath all the crude remarks and jabs at anyone better than him, there could be more than a bully. Maybe James could move on now, could step into his own and become the person he was meant to be.</p>
<p>	“Now, I have a few questions for each of you, and then we’ll move on to an open Q&amp;A from the audience,” announced Mr. Holt, joining them at the table and mirroring Pidge’s smile at each of them. “So, I know that you guys have released official statements on how you made it to space and what happened afterwards, but I think everyone here would like to hear it in your own words.”</p>
<p>	Pidge smirked, Hunk leaned back in his chair, and Keith turned to Lance with a raised eyebrow and quirked smile.</p>
<p>	“Well, Sharpshooter?” He said, cocking his head and gesturing to his boyfriend with a gentle sweep of the hand. “Go ahead. Don’t miss the shot.”</p>
<p>	Lance chuckled, bowing with a flourish and turning back to his microphone with a light blazing in his eyes and smile strong on his lips. Somewhere along the way, this trust, this unconditional belief in each other, this <i>love</i> had become automatic to each of them, flowing through all of their veins and beating in time with their hearts.</p>
<p>	“Well, it all started when Hunk and I noticed Pidge sneaking up to the roof of the Garrison……”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Six interjections, four corrections, and one massive snark fest later, Lance finished his story with a fresh round of sparkles dancing around his head. They each ran through their scripts on their favorite memories in space (Adam apparently had too much fun messing with <i>neon lights</i> during his trip to the Castle of Lions, and Krolia had greatly enjoyed getting to drag <i>someone’s</i> head through some food goo he had dropped on the ship’s floor. Keith had loved exploring a particularly traditional Altean room with Lance, Matt had never been happier than when he found Pidge again, and Allura would never forget her time in Oriande) with a few too many smirks or hidden blushes.</p>
<p>They moved on to what being a paladin meant to them next (Coran thought it meant putting your life on the line not only for the universe but also for the family you had forged standing beside you, and Hunk thought it meant knowing you couldn’t save everyone but trying anyway. To Lance, it was about inspiring hope in others and reminding them that their own power was always enough, but that if they needed help, Voltron would always be there to support them. Pidge felt that it was about learning everything they could about the different worlds they would interact with so that they could help build lasting peace, and Shiro declared that being a paladin to him meant that each and every one of them had a duty to rise above the odds and never give up, no matter what, <i>yes Pidge, even if that meant perfecting reality travel in an alternate dimension with your counterpart to come back</i>), and Lance nearly snickered when they all drained about half of their water bottles after their declarations. It was a little hard on the throat, but he was used to this from his time in theatre. Huh, they could probably make a musical out of this really easily………Lance would have to find out how well all of them could sing.</p>
<p>Mr. Holt leaned back in his chair, his eyes shining with more than the stage lights as Pidge and Matt sat tall as mountains with smiles like sunshine, and he cleared his throat.</p>
<p>“I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say that what you all stand for is very moving, and is incredibly powerful. No wonder you’re all the force that has shaped our universe.”</p>
<p>Lance blinked. Oh. Oh, <i>right</i>. They had made a huge difference, had already done so much, had freed almost all of the universe from Zarkon’s control. Sometimes, he got so caught up in ending the war that he forgot they had already saved every planet but their own from Zarkon’s fury. He got trapped in the <i>almost</i> instead of the <i>every other</i> that they had achieved. Lance nearly laughed at that; he was doing exactly what he had always gotten mad at his teammates for doing. He was ignoring everything they had done and focusing on what still needed to be accomplished.</p>
<p>Lance could feel the tension drain from his shoulders, and his mom caught his gaze with a smile that could blind the world. Dios, how had he gotten this lucky?</p>
<p>“Alright, now that we’ve gotten my boring old person questions out of the way,” joked Mr. Holt, fluffing at his beard to the chuckle of the audience, “let’s move on to the open Q&amp;A! Our own Commander Iverson will be in charge of the microphone, so put your hands up for the Paladins of Voltron!”</p>
<p>A tidal wave of hands flew into the air, and Iverson’s face twisted like a cockroach had just been flung in his face. Lance giggled behind a cupped hand, summoning a cough to cover his amusement, and Keith just outright snorted.</p>
<p>“Looks like someone got the crowd riled up, huh, partner?” He teased, elbowing Lance, and Lance shoved his shoulder with a laugh.</p>
<p>“I can’t help it if I don’t miss a shot,” retorted Lance, snickering as he shot a finger gun at Keith. “Like you said, I’m the team’s Sharpshooter.”</p>
<p>His boyfriend’s ears lit up red, Pidge rolled her eyes, and Sylvio stuffed his hands into this mouth to drown out the giggles. Mr. Holt raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“First question!” Called a familiar voice, a little tinny through the microphone, and Nadia Rizavi winked at Lance. “What’s it like piloting a Lion? Does it meow a lot in your head, does it ask for treats, and have any of you tried to give it catnip?”</p>
<p>Lance snickered, sliding his microphone closer as the others blinked at his friend’s question.</p>
<p>“Hey, Rizavi, long time no see!” He replied, laughter still bubbling beneath his words; the two of them had been an iconic meme duo before Voltron even if they had only met because her first name was the same as his daughter’s. “I’ve piloted three different Lions, so I can promise you that every one of them are unique. But the most important part is that none of them are “it”, they all are conscious, living beings who have thoughts, feelings, and just as much of a comprehension as you or I. It’s an easy mistake to make, since they’re robotic, but don’t get it mixed up,” he added, smiling softly at his friend, “they’re real Lions. But they act like giant housecats; Red pestered me constantly about treats and I still don’t know what she means by that, and Black pads into my mind just to knock over a lamp sometimes. And yes, I have given Blue catnip—”</p>
<p>“YOU WHAT?!”</p>
<p>“—And she had a lot of fun with it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Lion so passionate about the stupidity of Earth’s beauty standards.”</p>
<p>Rizavi let out a bellowing laugh and Lance joined in as the team stared at him like he had just grown horns.</p>
<p>“How did you even find catnip in space?!” Asked Hunk, dropping his head into his hands and pulling down his face on the way back up.</p>
<p>“Keith’s ears twitched every time we went past it.”</p>
<p>“Will you drop the half-cat thing already?!”</p>
<p>“Uh, technically it would be the half-purple-alien-space-cat thing,” teased Pidge, cackling as Keith face-palmed with a long groan.</p>
<p>Rizavi just leaned back with a chuckle as Krolia raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Are you implying that I supplied the purple-alien-space-cat half of his genes?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” deadpanned Shiro, staring her straight in the eye and barely fighting down the quirk threatening the edges of his smile. “You, one of the deadliest spies in the universe and second-in-command of the Blade of Marmora, are the supplier of his half-purple-alien-space-cat genes.”</p>
<p>“…Would you like to see how much of that microphone fits down your throat?”</p>
<p>Mr. Holt laughed as Shiro challenged Krolia to an arm-wrestling match later, Keith leaned over just enough to shove Pidge’s shoulder, and a wave of giggles dashed across the line of Paladins. Rizavi looked very pleased with herself.</p>
<p>“Second question!” Called someone else, and Keith shot back to his seat. “What’s the current status of the war? There was a skirmish here almost a month ago, but it’s been quiet since then. Where is Zarkon now? Is he coming to Earth?”</p>
<p>Lance bit back a groan; he knew that Iverson and Sanda were desperate to avoid a panic, and had tried to clamp down on as many details about the impending invasion as possible. It was the compromise for Sanda staying out of the planning process as much as she could; space business was space business and Earth business was Earth business.</p>
<p>“He is headed for this part of the galaxy, but Pidge has already placed tracking devices aboard his ship,” replied Allura, shooting a smile at the smaller girl. “We currently have people working on accessing and fine-tuning them, so he will not have a chance to land on Earth. The last battle of this war will take place in space; it shall not touch your planet.”</p>
<p>The man who asked sank back into his chair with a sigh of relief, and Iverson locked eyes with Allura, giving her the faintest nod of gratitude. The princess glanced at Lance, the two of them shrugging silently; they didn’t need to lie to people to keep everyone from panicking. They weren’t going to let anything happen to Earth.</p>
<p>“Third question: if space lions are real, are space dragons a thing?”</p>
<p>Shiro laughed, pulling the microphone closer to him and leaning down with a grin that sparkled through his eyes like an inside joke.</p>
<p>“Well, just because we haven’t seen one <i>yet</i> doesn’t mean we won’t soon.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After way too many rounds of “we have done this before a thousand times, we can handle this” going up against “I don’t believe you” and ending with a collective glance of <i>nothing can convince these idiots</i>, a good ten questions in a row for Pidge and Hunk about space technology, three fanboys for Shiro, a barrage of questions about the Rebellion and Blade of Marmora aimed at Matt and Krolia, multiple conspiracy nerd sessions with Keith, too many stories from Coran, an eyebrow twitching number of questions about how normal humans could deal with all of this aimed at Adam (who turned to the row of Paladins and gestured like he framing a screen because <i>we’re almost all humans here, Carl!</i>), tentative queries about aliens and being a princess for Allura, and endless meme rounds bounced between Lance and the audience, even the trained diplomats’ smiles were starting to look dry.</p>
<p>Iverson’s brow was dripping with sweat, Mr. Holt had drained his water bottle, and Lance remembered with a vague nausea that it was the first of June today. Maybe the open stage wasn’t the best of ideas on the first day of summer. Huh, he would have to check in with the school to see when Nadia and Sylvio were being let out this year; it seemed to change on whim sometimes! Keith glanced at the two kids as well, and Lance could almost hear his thoughts turning down a similar path. The fact that he was melting had nothing to do with the heat anymore.</p>
<p>“Okay, we’ll take three more questions,” declared Mr. Holt, adjusting his tie a little to hide the sweat slipping down his neck as a chorus of disappointment sounded from the crowd. “Sorry, folks, we have a group of very, very busy people here who need to get back to saving the universe,” he added, flashing a wink at the paladins that restored Lance’s sanity by +2.</p>
<p>“Oh, I have a question! Since we all know Adashi is out here being an iconic space couple,” called Curtis, grinning widely as his two best friends raised up their engagement rings in response, “did anyone else catch the cute waves and fill the cold void of space with a love for the ages?”</p>
<p>Keith froze. Quiznak.<i> Quiznak.</i> Curtis didn’t know that he and Lance were dating! He was just trying to be a good friend and help Adam and Shiro, who were practically trailblazers for the Garrison’s Anti-Discrimination Policy that was gradually including the LGBT+ community, announce their engagement in one heck of a way. The crowd was cheering, Shiro was kissing Adam tenderly, and Lance had Keith’s hand in a death grip under the table. He had gone white, his lips trembling, and Keith wanted to swear aloud as his eye caught Lance’s siblings and kids staring at them. </p>
<p>“Lance,” he hissed, just low enough that the microphones wouldn’t catch them, and his smile diverted any attention from them onto Shiro and Adam, “Lance, you don’t have to. Curtis isn’t actually asking, he’s just helping Adam and Shiro. Don’t worry, you—”</p>
<p>“Are you public?” Whispered Lance, his eyes catching the lights of the stadium like they would a laser on the battlefield, explosions lighting up his irises and lips locking like they always did before he took a shot.</p>
<p>And Lance never missed.</p>
<p>“Well,” said Allura, her voice like velvet as she leaned over the microphone, stealing the attention off of her shaking brother. “I recently began a relationship with Acxa, who is here today.”</p>
<p>Acxa waved from the crowd, and Allura blew her a kiss as the crowd erupted in cheers and shrieks and the occasional disappointed whine that the beautiful space princess was taken. Hunk cleared his throat, glancing at Keith and Lance before he pulled his microphone close to him.</p>
<p>“Yes,” replied Keith, squeezing Lance’s hand as he took a deep breath and stored it in his lungs; he might need that in a tick. “Yes. I’m good.”</p>
<p>“I’m dating Shay, who is, uh, also in the audience today,” Hunk stuttered out, his eyes nearly melting as Shay’s hands cupped in a heart at him; he held up a huge heart with his arms, and Curtis let out a whoop even as Iverson groaned.</p>
<p>Lance swallowed, his throat bobbing, and he pulled the microphone between him and Keith, holding onto his boyfriend’s hand like his life depended on it. Then he sucked in a deep breath, his shoulders raised like a lion prepared to pounce, and Black washed over them in a hug. <i>I’m so proud of you, my kits.</i></p>
<p>“Keith and I are dating.”</p>
<p>The words were breathless, nearly lost to the crowd’s cheering about Hunk and Shay, but both boys knew that everyone had heard them. The audience seemed to collectively blink, staring at the two Black Paladins who were most decidedly boys, and then over at the rest of the paladins. Lance wanted to throw up. Shiro and Adam were renowned for being gay, they had tortured the Garrison with their gayness for decaphoebs, and had turned it into a weapon to tear through the discrimination so many of them had faced. They had forced themselves into acceptance, had forged a family to protect them, and Adam had still lost his family when he came out.</p>
<p>Lance couldn’t even look at his mom.</p>
<p>Keith couldn’t breathe.</p>
<p>Pidge cleared her throat, tapping her mic and leaning forwards.</p>
<p>“Yeah, we all gay, keep scrolling,” she intoned in her deepest voice, and Lance’s heart restarted as Nadia cackled from Marco’s shoulders.</p>
<p>She cupped her hands over her mouth and leaned so far forwards she nearly tumbled off, her smile wrinkling up her button nose and crinkling her eyes shut as her dimple glowed under the summer sun.</p>
<p>“WE GET TO HAVE THE BEST TWO PAPIS EVER!” She shouted, throwing her fists into the air and whooping until her throat had to hurt. “TE QUIERO, PAPI!”</p>
<p>“AND TE QUIERO, PAPI DOS!” Yelled Sylvio, waving so hard he toppled off of Luis’ shoulders onto Rachel’s giggling head.</p>
<p>Lance’s lips trembled now for a completely different reason, but he threw his head back even as tears glittered in a blanket over his eyes, a smile breaking across his face until he could barely see or breathe, and a watery laugh bounced free of his lips.</p>
<p>“Te quiero, Nadia, Sylvio!” He cried, squeezing Keith’s hand and turning to him with a smile that outshone the astral plane itself. “Your papis love you!”</p>
<p>Keith’s smile glowed across his face, lighting up his eyes as he raised their hands high in the air and turned to the two cheering kids who had, somewhere along the line, become his world.</p>
<p>“Te quiero!”</p>
<p>Nadia whooped, and the crowd erupted in a symphony of cheers, arms pumping through the air, a few whines that they were taken, and an almost universal round of <i>FINALLY</i>s from the Garrison’s cadets. Iverson turned volcanic eyes on them, and Pidge leveled him with a lioness’ glare that was significantly helped by Green lending her a little flash to her eyes. He couldn’t leap away fast enough.</p>
<p>“Uh, I have a question,” called James, raising a hand as lines dug themself into his forehead; Iverson couldn’t hand the microphone to him fast enough, and Lance’s grip on Keith’s hand tightened atop the table. “Why…what made you decide to do that?”</p>
<p>Lance’s eyebrow quirked, Keith glared, and James winced. “No, not the—! Not the gay thing. I mean, what made you decide to…to tell everyone? W-Why does it matter? Being gay isn’t going to make any difference in how well you defend the universe.”</p>
<p>Iverson looked ready to blow steam out of his ears, and Pidge was whispering with Hunk about getting a recording, but Lance’s eyebrows smoothed and he finally found the right spot for the microphone. The base slid perfectly under their hands, just like the joystick of the Black Lion, and Keith turned to smile softly at Lance.</p>
<p>“Go ahead, darlin’,” he drawled, pecking a kiss to Lance’s nose and earning a coo from the crowd. “You’ve got this.”</p>
<p>Lance still didn’t look at his mom as he answered, though.</p>
<p>“You’re right, the fact that I’m bi and Keith is gay won’t affect how well we defend the universe,” he stated, shooting a <i>look</i> at Iverson that reminded the man a strange amount of his mom, “but it <i>will</i> tell all the kids out there who are like us that they’re not alone. I…I <i>get</i> it, I get the shame that nearly drowns you when you realize you’re not straight, that you can’t change who you are, I get the terror that the people who are most important to you, who make up your very world, will walk out on you. And I’ve seen it firsthand,” he added, biting down the impulse to glance at his older brother. “I know how hard it hurts. When I first realized I was bisexual, I was only in elementary school. Everyone bullied me about being gay so much, I finally went to the trouble of trying to figure out <i>why</i> I was being teased. But when I looked at the definition, I just kind of shrugged and went <i>well, not wrong</i>.”</p>
<p>Pidge chuckled.</p>
<p>“Mood,” she whispered, and Hunk nodded emphatically.</p>
<p>Keith just leaned against the panel table and propped up his cheek in his palm to gaze at his beautiful, strong, incredible boyfriend because <i>god, how had he gotten this lucky?</i></p>
<p>“But I grew up in Cuba. Don’t get me wrong, I love my homeland, and it’s still one of the best places in the world to me,” insisted Lance, nostalgia glowing in his smile. “There’s no place like it. But it really isn’t fond of the LGBT+ community, and I faced a lot of hostility from the kids around me. Even when I came to America, the Garrison wasn’t exactly…receptive to who I was. That was how I found my hero,” he said, his lips twisting into a grin as he glanced down the table, “Shiro.”</p>
<p>Adam snickered, and Shiro’s cheeks flushed a nearly painful red at the compliment. Lance joined his older brother in the snickering. “Yeah, this dork. I mean, come on. He literally danced on top of a table at the school dance with his boyfriend, which was strictly illegal at the Garrison, even after getting thrown out! An Icon.”</p>
<p>	“Laaaaaance,” groaned Shiro, dropping his head into the table, and Adam let out a bark of laughter.</p>
<p>Lance just grinned.</p>
<p>“But, seriously, Shiro was the first person I saw who wore his pride on his sleeve. Even back then, he spoke out for our rights and did everything he could to make sure we had a safe space. He was, and still is, unashamedly gay. But, even more than that, he didn’t let being gay slow him down. No matter how hard the Garrison made it on him, Shiro succeeded. He beat the odds, he flew more missions than almost anyone else, and he did it all alongside the love of his life. I grew up hearing that gay people didn’t succeed. We were the starving artists, we were the ones whose careers used to end if our sexuality was discovered, we were the ones who weren’t enough.”</p>
<p>Lance’s voice was soft, and Keith took a bitter vindication in the wince on Iverson’s face; he knew who had made all of their lives hard due to their sexuality. Lance never lowered his eyes. “I didn’t know I could succeed and be open about my sexuality until I saw Shiro in a flight magazine. So I know how big of a difference it makes when someone says they’re like you. And, if I can use being a Paladin of Voltron to do good, then I will. Because no child should ever be ashamed of who they love! And yes, we will face hate and we will face intolerance! We’ll be told we’re wrong and that we’re disgusting and don’t deserve to be here and are not good enough, but I swear that as long as I breathe, there will always be someone to say that they’re wrong! Because they’re wrong!”</p>
<p>Because Hunk and Allura were tearing up.</p>
<p>“They’re wrong!”</p>
<p>Because Pidge and Matt were smiling.</p>
<p>“They are <i>wrong!</i>”</p>
<p>Because Keith was looking at him like Lance was his entire world, like he was the future and present, like he was <i>home</i>. So Lance stood up, pulling the microphone with him and raising eyes glowing with all the explosions of a space battle as his battle grin erupted across his face again.</p>
<p>“We are so much more than that! We can all go just as far as anyone else, and we all deserve to be here! You all have the right to peace, to joy, and to a future, no matter what! And, if any of you need living proof that being gay or bi or pan or ace won’t stop you from succeeding, then take a look at this stage!”</p>
<p>He swept an arm out towards all of the paladins, who stood up with pride practically radiating off of them. “Because we are all living proof that you can go farther than you ever imagined! James, the reason I came out today is that I don’t want anyone else to ever question their worth again just because of their sexuality. So, if you’re ever wondering that, just turn your eyes to the stars,” he finished, nearly panting at this point, and Keith squeezed his hand, tears filling his glowing indigo eyes, “because there’s a whole pride of paladins up there who believe in you.”</p>
<p>Keith swept Lance into a kiss, Shiro raised his matching rings with Adam to the light, Hunk lifted Pidge up on his shoulders so she could pump her fists high into the air, Coran pulled at his mustache with a smirk, Krolia smiled at the sky as if she could still see her two lovers up there, and Allura blew Acxa a kiss. And none of them had even sat down before applause crashed into them like a tidal wave, the cheers deafening in the summer air, and Lance finally gathered the courage to twist just enough to look at his mother.</p>
<p>She was crying, tears racing down her cheeks in waterfalls, and a smile unlike anything he had ever seen before lighting up her face. His throat closed, nearly choking him, and he wrestled the tears back from his eyes. His mom blew him a kiss the tick she caught him looking at her, and he returned it with love glowing in his every movement.</p>
<p>He was <i>free</i>. His mom didn’t hate him, she didn’t think he was wrong or messed up, she just looked like he had handed her the moon. Lance blew out a slow breath, and Keith squeezed his hand softly.</p>
<p>“I love you,” whispered Keith, and Lance set down the microphone to press a butterfly kiss to his boyfriend’s lips again.</p>
<p>“I love you too,” promised Lance, pressing his forehead to Keith’s and a silent vow passing between them.</p>
<p>
  <i>Now and forever.</i>
</p>
<p>“Final question!” Chirped a small girl, grinning up at them and nearly bouncing off her dad’s shoulders. “Can I be like you guys some day?”</p>
<p>Lance’s breath stuttered in his throat, and Keith’s eyes pooled with tears at the innocent question. Allura pressed a hand to her heart, Pidge stood frozen, like someone had punched all the air from her body, and Hunk nearly started bawling. Adam and Shiro glanced at one another with matching soft smiles, Matt pressed the heel of his palm into his eye, and Krolia placed a hand on his shoulder gently.</p>
<p><i>Sometimes</i>, Lance realized with a painful lurch, <i>truths don’t set in until you see them.</i></p>
<p>No matter how much they had all known logically that there would be people who would look up to them, who would idolize the Paladins of Voltron, who would strive to be like them just as they had once been in a blind sprint to be like their own heroes, it really only set in right then. Right then, with a little girl with a huge smile and wide eyes asking if she could be like them someday.</p>
<p>Lance wiped away the tear that slid from his eye, Allura took a deep breath, Keith raised his chin, Pidge lifted her microphone, Hunk dug his feet in, Shiro straightened his back, Adam fixed his glowing gaze forwards, Krolia rolled her shoulders back, and Matt grinned. Their hands all linked together as one, and the original paladins snickered as they remembered that first meal together, where they had failed so terribly with the handcuffs.</p>
<p>They had come so far. And they were only going to go further. So, hands tight around each other’s, they faced forwards and all grinned at that hopeful, wide-eyed little girl who looked at them like they weren’t just heroes, but rather <i>her heroes.</i></p>
<p>“Of course you can! Any and all of you can be your own Paladin of Voltron!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	A few vargas later, after a thousand hugs from his mother and a few teases from his siblings over how poetic he had gotten, the surprise return of Ezor and Zethrid, the arrival of Nyma (now called N-7, apparently) leading the Rebellion’s faction that was stationed on Mars, <i>and</i> having to welcome back Narti and Romelle, Lance flopped into Keith’s lap and let out a long whine.</p>
<p>	“It’s only 1:00, I can’t already not want to do anything!” Complained Lance, and Pidge snickered from where she had taken up perch beside Bandor, who was apparently Romelle’s little brother and just as much of a nerd as her.</p>
<p>	“I mean, do you have to?”</p>
<p>	“If people keep randomly showing up without warning,” grumbled Lance, glaring at Ezor, who just waved back from Zethrid’s lap with a chipper smile, “then yes, I most certainly will.”</p>
<p>	Allura plopped down beside him with a groan, and Hunk poked his head out from the kitchen.</p>
<p>	“Lunch is ready, everyone!”</p>
<p>	Shiro and Adam glanced up from where they had taken over the floor, and Acxa raised her chin in acknowledgement even as she continued to groan into her phone call with Lotor. They had finally managed to set up a solid line of communication. Matt was chatting with Nyma, the two of them giggling with the faintest of blushes on their cheeks, and Lance was already grinning. Matt was like an older brother to him, after all. There was no way he was going to pass up the chance to help him out while simultaneously teasing him endlessly along the way.</p>
<p>	<i>Revenge.</i></p>
<p>	“Okay, Hunk, we’ll be there in a—”</p>
<p>	A banshee shriek filled the house, tearing through Lance’s ears and ripping what was left of them to shreds. Keith nearly bolted out of his shoes, eyes flitting around the room to find the source of the sound, and Shiro yanked his emergency communicator from his belt. Lance and Pidge followed suit barely a tick later, and a set of flashing red words burned into their eyes.</p>
<p>	<i><b>Zarkon has entered the solar system. Current position: next to Mars.</b></i></p>
<p>	Lance clicked the button to silence his communicator and glanced over at Pidge with an arched eyebrow.</p>
<p>	“See? Unannounced visitors.”</p>
<p>	Then everyone moved as one, dashing from the room towards the Lions sitting behind the house, their Paladin armor stowed safely within. Lance turned to Keith, a smile quirking at the edges of his lips.</p>
<p>	“Say, did you ever get a chance to look over those battle plans?”</p>
<p>	“Yeah,” replied Keith with a smirk. “I revised them while you were greeting the Blade of Marmora. I just moved Shiro up a bit.”</p>
<p>	“Oh, nice.”</p>
<p>	And, hand-in-hand, battle smirks spreading up to their eyes, the Black Paladins charged into their Lion. They had their armor on in ticks, shared a quick <i>don’t-you-dare-die</i> kiss, and settled into their seats. Their hands slid over each other’s on the joystick and each of their teammates’ faces flooded the screen, eyes glowing with sheer determination and smiles carved out of pure trust. And, as Keith’s mind merged with Lance’s, the words they shared didn’t waver for even a tick.</p>
<p>	<i>I’ve got you.</i></p>
<p>	Because, as they took to the sky in a wave of colors, they didn’t need to be Voltron for all of them to feel the love they shared. They had built it from the ground up, laying every stone down carefully, prying up the places that had fallen in and fixing it up, painting gold in their scars instead of washing over them, and standing back to look at the masterpiece their love had created with clasped hands and sunshine smiles.</p>
<p>	No way anything was going to change that now.</p>
<p>	“Alright team!” Roared Keith and Lance, a cheer spreading through Voltron as they exploded out into space once again, one last time, for one final battle. “<i>Let’s light ‘em up!</i>”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. United We Stand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Shiro, Adam, meet up with the Rebel fleet coming in from Mars!” Ordered Lance, throwing a grin at the former Black Paladin through his screen. “Nyma, make sure Matt and Shay get there too! Once you’re all assembled, come meet up with us on the front lines.”</p>
<p>	“Krolia, take a fighter ship from the Rebels; I made sure they had one for you,” added Keith. “Stay safe out there. Hunk, hang back here and keep any ships from getting past the atmosphere. Pidge, you know the drill.”</p>
<p>	“Already on it,” replied Pidge with a smirk as Green vanished beside them until only the faintest ripple through space was visible.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Shiro, Adam, meet up with the Rebel fleet coming in from Mars!” Ordered Lance, throwing a grin at the former Black Paladin through his screen. “Nyma, make sure Matt and Shay get there too! Once you’re all assembled, come meet up with us on the front lines.”</p>
<p>	“Krolia, take a fighter ship from the Rebels; I made sure they had one for you,” added Keith. “Stay safe out there. Hunk, hang back here and keep any ships from getting past the atmosphere. Pidge, you know the drill.”</p>
<p>	“Already on it,” replied Pidge with a smirk as Green vanished beside them until only the faintest ripple through space was visible.</p>
<p>	“Allura, you’re with us,” called Lance, plunging the joystick into a full sprint ahead. “We’re going to hold off the fleet as long as we can! As soon as we get backups, you know what to do.”</p>
<p>	“Ready and waiting,” promised Allura, pulling up beside the Black Lion and baring her claws with a grin.</p>
<p>	“We’ve got your back,” assured Acxa, her battleship rolling behind them with Ezor and Zethrid whooping in the background. “Lotor’s fleet is on its way; they should be here soon.”</p>
<p>	“Well, I think we can handle <i>soon</i>,” replied Lance, gritting his teeth. “If anyone sees the comet, alert Voltron and retreat immediately!”</p>
<p>	“Uh, bud,” called Hunk, rubbing his head. “What if one of us spots it? Should we engage and wait for backup?”</p>
<p>	“No, tail it and keep us posted,” replied Lance, shoulders rising as Black sped up, leaving Yellow and Blue out of sight. “But, Hunk, if it comes after Earth……”</p>
<p>	“I’ll stop it,” swore Hunk, pounding a fist over his heart and throwing a sunshine smile at his family. “I won’t let anything hurt our planet.”</p>
<p>	“You’ve got this,” said Keith, throwing a smile at his brother and raising flashing eyes at the enemy fleet quickly coming into view; gods, he nearly laughed as he remembered when one battleship was almost too much for them to handle. “Alright, everyone, we can do this! You all know the plans; other than that, improvise, trust your instincts, and remember that, no matter what, we’ve all got your back. Now, let’s end this once and for all!”</p>
<p>	A battle cry roared through the comms, and Lance twisted to grin at Keith, squeezing his partner’s hand as lightning flashed through his eyes.</p>
<p>	“It’s been a while, huh?” He said. “It feels good to be back in action.”</p>
<p>	Keith chuckled, leaning over to kiss his boyfriend and relishing in the squawking blush that raced through Lance’s face like wildfire.</p>
<p>	“Better than I can explain,” he murmured.</p>
<p>	Pidge rolled her eyes so hard she wondered if they would fall into the back of her skull, glancing over at Allura with an arched eyebrow.</p>
<p>	“Have they forgotten we can see them or are they just <i>desperate</i> for me to test my prototype bombs on them?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Hunk had totally jinxed himself when he originally complained to Lance about stationing him in the back because <i>I’m not going to be doing anything or helping to protect Earth at all!</i></p>
<p>Yeah…no.</p>
<p> Hunk threw one of the controls forwards, wrenching the other to the side and unleashing a blazing laser from Yellow’s mouth. It curved across the battlefield, a flurry of explosions dotting the blue arc like beads on a necklace, and Hunk tore past them with a growl grating along his throat. A barrage of lasers bounced off Yellow’s coat, and Hunk swerved to claw apart a fighter trying to escape onto Earth.</p>
<p>“Oh, no you don’t!” He thundered as Yellow let out a roar that sounded almost more like a dragon than a lion. “None of you are going to touch Earth because <i>not one of you is going to make it past me!</i>”</p>
<p>	Yellow pounced across space, diving for one of the only two battleships who had managed to bulldoze its way past Black, Red, and Acxa’s battleship. He could still feel the lingering hiss that echoed through the comms after explosions over him like a second skin, prickling at all of his nerves like a needle well after the wincing confirmation that everyone was alive.</p>
<p>	Hunk was ready for that feeling to end.</p>
<p>	“Alright, come and get some of this!” He yelled, whipping his bayard from his belt as a familiar, soothing glow rippled across it. “Never underestimate a leg!”</p>
<p>	Hunk slammed his bayard into the console, twisting it and letting golden light flood through the cockpit like a second sun had risen. “Let’s give them a fight to remember, Yellow!”</p>
<p>	The Yellow Lion threw back its head, light swirling into its maw as if summoned from the very fabric of the cosmos, and Hunk felt their shared quintessence pumping through his veins like every burst of anxiety he’s ever known except…except there’s a layer of determination over the anxiety that transformed it into a kind of drive he had never known before. Because, after everything they had already done, after so many near deaths and narrow victories, after celebrations and disasters, after so many revelations they had made together, after shaping <i>their very universe</i>, this was not going to be where they failed! It didn’t matter how large or powerful Zarkon’s fleet was, it didn’t matter if they had to fight for the rest of their lives, all that mattered was that they. Refused. To. Lose.</p>
<p>	And, as Hunk’s battle cry roared through his link with Yellow, golden light exploded from his eyes and the comet building between his Lion’s jaws tore across the battlefield. A glittering trail followed in its wake, and Hunk grinned as the glow from his eyes pulsed, spreading to his lower back and arcing lines across his armor that seeped into his skin. Hunk let out a whoop, snatching the controls as the comet smashed through the shield protecting the ion cannon and crushed it in a single action. He blew a laser through the hull of the battleship for good measure and bounded towards the remaining battleship. Squares and triangles hovered over his skin, geometric lines connecting them, and dark marks resembling claws winding down his legs. The formerly horizontal lines rotated then, dancing down the inside of his legs as the darkened claws grew stronger until they ended in suns at his knees. Hunk swerved, drifting like a race car around the battleship as he unleashed a concentrated stream of destruction into the side of the ship, leaving red explosions to light up the fighter behind him. The lines arced up to spin suns on the top of his knees as well, arcing across his thighs to make space for the squares sliding up after them, and circles wound onto his legs in little dots. Rectangles blossomed over his legs, the golden light blending into the cabin’s glow, and Hunk twirled away from the battleship just as it detonated behind him. Shrapnel tore through space, and Hunk ducked behind a string of fighter ships in the chaos.</p>
<p>	He let out a long, slow breath as pikes of metal skewered the ships in front of him, and glanced up.</p>
<p>	“Yellow, you doing okay?”</p>
<p>	His Lion let out a rumble bordering on amused, and Hunk cocked his head. “What do you mean? Is there something on the floor? Did a space squid get in while I wasn’t looking?! Is it trying to eat my legs and that’s why they’ve been burning those whole time?!”</p>
<p>	Yellow gave a cosmic roll of his eyes as Hunk screeched around the cabin, the final arches of golden light burning into his skin and connecting with the pattern already seared into his back. Yellow chuckled, shaking his head and nudging Hunk on the astral plane.</p>
<p>	“<i>Look down,</i>” purred Yellow with a fond smile. “<i>Look down and do not be afraid, my paladin.</i>”</p>
<p>	Hunk froze. That was the first time Yellow had called him something other than <i>kit</i> since they had started this whole crazy journey together.</p>
<p>	“Okay,” he replied, straightening his shoulders and digging his feet into the pedals.</p>
<p>	He trusted Yellow. And yeah, maybe Hunk hadn’t always been the quickest to jump aboard the dangerous, death-defying insanities that his team decided to pull out here in space, but he was always happy to dig his heels into the ground and give his family a boost up into whatever they felt was right. He would catch them if they fell, pull them back up to their feet, and trap them in one of his patented <i>big bear hugs</i> until they were ready to try again. Because, no matter what happened, Hunk would always believe in his space family. After all, they were the ones who taught him to believe in himself.</p>
<p>	“Okay, what’ve we go—<i>HOLY QUIZNAK!</i>” Shrieked Hunk, the golden pattern filling up his eyes as it gave a final pulse before settling into his armor, the lines sharper than Keith’s bayard. “Yellow! How did you give me a Pe’a?!”</p>
<p>	“<i>I did nothing</i>,” replied Yellow with the sweetest rumble on the edges of his words, “<i>this was all you, my paladin. The universe does not give out tattoos lightly, but you, Hunk Garrett, have more than earned the markings of a warrior. You are a Defender of the Universe. Wear your title with pride, kit.</i>”</p>
<p>	All the breath vanished from Hunk’s chest and his eyes swelled with tears even as his grip tightened on the controls. He sniffled, and Yellow nuzzled against him with a soft purr. “<i>I am proud of you, Hunk.</i>”</p>
<p>	Hunk swerved free of the cluttered battlefield, unleashing a firestorm of lasers into the final battleship with a roar that rivalled Yellow’s even as he curled up with his Lion in the astral plane and reached back to give him scritches behind the ear.</p>
<p>	“And I’m proud of us, Yellow.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shiro swooped in with a battle cry, a flurry of ice beams crashing through the ships standing between him and his space family, and a euphony of cheers flooded the comms.</p>
<p>“<i>Heck yeah, Shiro!</i>” Cried Lance, pumping a fist in the air as Keith gave his brother a grateful grin.</p>
<p>“<i>What took you so long?</i>” Teased Keith over the comms. “<i>Got caught up flirting with Adam?</i>”</p>
<p>“What, when I’m his superior officer? I would never,” joked Shiro, cackling as Adam flashed him a deadly glare. “Although Matt and Nyma spent a <i>long</i> time getting onto the comms.”</p>
<p>Matt sputtered out a protest while Shiro snickered at his second-in-command’s fiery cheeks and even Keith snickered over the comms.</p>
<p>“<i>Shut up!</i>” Cried Matt, folding his arms and pouting even as Pidge giggled. “<i>We were discussing strategies!</i>”</p>
<p>“<i>Strategies to get into each other’s heart~?</i>” Teased Lance, and Matt surrendered with a groan as the team chuckled at his expense.</p>
<p>Nyma just shot a ship close enough to the Black Lion to draw a squawk from Lance and snickered contentedly.</p>
<p>“Alright, everyone, fall into formation!” Ordered Shiro, raising his chin and squaring his shoulders as a familiar rush turned his blood into pure adrenaline. “Adam, lead the ground troops in on my command! Matt, take half of the ships and circle around to the side to create an opening for the landing crew; the rest of you are with me, so let’s throw them into the next galaxy!”</p>
<p>A chorus of assents roared through the comms, Shay’s battle cry nearly deafening all of them, and Shiro easd back in the pilot’s seat and barely managed not to blow out a long breath. It was so familiar, all of this. The orders flying from his lips, the instant unquestioned trust everyone had in his words, the strength in the smiles they all shared before takeoff, it was…well, it was nice. As much as he appreciated the break that Keith and Lance had given him from leading Voltron, Shiro still missed being a leader. He missed the certainty in his decisions, the constant grasp of the battlefield that seemed to just materialize in his mind, the reflexes that made up his body when those he led were in danger. It felt like he had a piece of the Black Lion inside of him.</p>
<p>	Now, when piloting Blue, he couldn’t help but wonder if it would be the same.</p>
<p>“<i>Not the same</i>,” purred Blue with an amused roll of her eyes as she nudged him cosmically, “<i>but just as good.</i>”</p>
<p>	Shiro chuckled, leaning back as she powered up an ice beam again, and closed his eyes to better meld with Blue. It was actually kind of funny; melding with Blue was completely different than melding with Black. He had always turned to the similarities that Allura had given him in the beginning of their journey together, the truths that had bound him to Black, everything that had made him into a Black Paladin, and used that to forge a bond with his Lion. When he started piloting Blue, he had actually just spent their first session staring at the controls in a vague confusion of how to actually bond with the graceful Lion. He definitely found a new respect for Lance from that, though, for forging one of the strongest bonds they had seen out of nothing.</p>
<p>	Now, though, he didn’t need Allura to tell him what made a Blue Paladin. He already had the honor of knowing two of them, of walking in their footsteps, and he ran through their truths as he blew out a breath and slowly slid his eyes closed. Blue purred, curling around him as she opened her eyes, and he raised a hand to rest on her fuzzy cheek.</p>
<p>	Trust. Blue Paladins were the most trusting, whether in the universe, their teammates, themselves, or their ideals, they would believe until the cosmos caved in on their heads. Allura believed in Voltron and, even more than that, in her <i>family</i> with an unshakeable faith that often blew Shiro away. She would raise her chin and proclaim them Defenders of the Universe without batting an eye regardless of whether they were in a diplomatic meeting or the Castle of Lions’ kitchen. Allura had always believed in them above all else.</p>
<p>	Shiro dove into the battlefield, a flurry of ships on his tail, and Blue’s eyes gave a hazy shimmer as her tail whipped in a frenzied circle of lasers. Fighters exploded around them like an endless song, a battleship’s ion cannon turning into an iceberg even before Blue tore into the side of the ship with a fury. Shay twisted behind Shiro, blasting through an incoming squadron, and Hunk whooped in the background. Shiro smiled, leaning into Blue’s embrace, and blew out a long breath. He believed in them. They could do this.</p>
<p>	Flexible. Blue Paladins were quick to step up to the plate, to fill whatever spot the team needed them to, and wanted nothing more than to help in whatever way they could. No matter what curve ball the team had thrown at him, Lance had caught it in style. When they needed someone to help them relax into space, he had thrown finger guns and puns around the castle as the flirty Blue Paladin. When Shiro vanished and they needed someone to act as the glue of the team, to anchor them all together, he had stepped in as the right-hand Red Paladin no matter what the clone had thrown at him. And, when Keith had offered him a hand, Lance had finally run forward into the place he most belonged and stepped up into becoming one of their Black Paladins. He had always been exactly where they needed him when they needed him there, no matter what. Lance had always been what they had needed most.</p>
<p>	Shiro arched his shoulders, teeth gritting into one another, and Blue’s eyes let out a sputtering glow. Allura blasted a ship on his tail, and Shiro twisted through the air to snipe down a fighter trailing after Adam’s squadron. As if he would ever let anyone touch his fiance. Shiro grinned, Blue crouched, and her eyes flared a searing gold.</p>
<p>	Finally, Blue Paladins were people who would always sacrifice themselves, their dreams, or their futures to save the ones they loved. And Shiro was finally ready to break that trend. Because how could he truly protect his family if he didn’t go home to them at the end of the day?</p>
<p>	Shiro’s vision flashed forward into Blue’s eyes and his Lion let out a roar that shook the battlefield as he threw his head back with a whoop.</p>
<p>	“You’ve got great eyesight, Blue!” He cried, grinning as he tore through another battleship and batted a fighter aiming at Matt into one stalking Krolia. “Now,” he added, grasping the controls as gold blazed in his eyes and Blue pounced across the battlefield with a wild battle cry, “<i>let’s end this once and for all, team!</i>”</p>
<p>	“<i>HECK YES!</i>”</p>
<p>	“<i>I believe I may be of assistance in that</i>,” chimed in a smooth voice with just the faintest smile curling at the edges of his words, “<i>despite your Green Paladin’s best attempts to blow me up.</i>”</p>
<p>	“<i>Lotor!</i>” Cried Acxa, and the Emperor’s face lit up the screen with a soft smile at the sight of her sparkling circlet. “<i>You made it!</i>”</p>
<p>	“<i>Indeed. Please do not tell me I was so late as to miss the battle,</i>” replied Lotor, explosions ricocheting around him as Pidge whooped through the comms with zero regret, her refined explosives reversing the electrical flow of a good third of Zarkon’s fleet, giving them approximately three ticks to panic before getting blown to smithereens.</p>
<p>	“Don’t worry, Lotor,” said Shiro, biting a fighter in half before freezing another into an iceberg and body-slamming it into an ion cannon aimed at the Black Lion; he smirked at the screen and plunged into enemy fire with a roar that melded with Blue’s. “There’s plenty to go around!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“All units, open fire!” Ordered Lotor and, with a sweep of his arm, an army of lasers ripped through space to blast apart the back of Zarkon’s fleet. “Acxa, I need you to get Zethrid, Narti, and Ezor back here immediately to lead the divisions in! Until then, Kuron, cut them to pieces!”</p>
<p>	Kuron gave him a thumbs up before seizing the controls of one of their best battleships and whipping through the battlefield with fighters tight on his tail. He tore through the sky, pinpointed lasers slicing into the enemy’s engines, and spun the massive ship with concerning agility before opening fire into a battleship’s cockpit. The fighters around him swarmed forwards, dancing around one another and spinning across the battlefield in complicated patterns that even Lotor couldn’t truly comprehend.</p>
<p>Kuron was unlike any general he had ever met before. When he first started training their soldiers, he saw everything on the battlefield and nothing that was happening on his <i>own front</i> until disaster struck. Once it hit, though, he was excellent at damage control, he was quick to ask Lotor for advice on how to avoid making the same mistake twice, and his ideas for combinations were far beyond anything Lotor would have thought to ask of their soldiers. But when he mentioned that last piece to Kuron, the general just shook his head with a soft chuckle. <i>Voltron is made up of teenagers with no military training,</i> he had replied with a sparkle in his eyes, <i>and if they can pull it off with enough practice, then I know we can too.</i></p>
<p>	Kuron had a vision for their army that Lotor never would have dared to dream of. It was part of why the fighters instinctively hugged so close to him on the battlefield, waiting for his every word, and turning to him when the going got rough. Lotor was their emperor, but Kuron was their general. And Lotor wouldn’t have it any other way.</p>
<p>	“<i>Emperor Lotor!</i>” Shouted Acxa, her battleship veering through the chaos as her face lit up his screen with a glowing smile curving right into her ocean eyes. “<i>Welcome back! Permission to dock, sir?</i>”</p>
<p>	Lotor knew he wasn’t allowed to chuckle at his sister’s formality, but he was so tempted to when he saw that wiggle at the edge of her lips that held a laugh behind them.</p>
<p>	“Permission granted, General Acxa,” he replied, pulling his ship around to fire into a particularly large battleship in the back row. “And it’s good to be back.”</p>
<p>	Acxa grinned, her circlet catching the sparkle in her eyes, and Lotor’s heart throbbed because finally, <i>finally</i>, his sister had found the love she deserved. A love to last beyond a lifetime.</p>
<p>	“Acxa, pull around on the left side, it should better guard y—”</p>
<p>	A scream cut through Lotor’s words, freezing over his blood, and Acxa’s battleship shuddered in front of him as a strangely large battleship opened fire into her hull.</p>
<p>	“<i>Ezor, Zethrid! Escape pods now!</i>” Yelled Acxa, spinning her battleship further in to guard Lotor’s cockpit. “<i>Narti, you’re closer to the fighter ships, so launch one! I’ll buy you guys as much time as I can, so go now!</i>”</p>
<p>	Lotor gripped the controls as his teeth bit into one another, but Allura’s voice sliced through anything he had prepared to say.</p>
<p>	“<i>Acxa, do you need reinforcements?!</i>” Cried the princess, the Red Lion’s flames licking ever closer to them.</p>
<p>	If they could just divide the fleet in half…</p>
<p>	“Acxa, pull back!” Shouted Lotor, thrusting the controls forwards. “I’ll shield you, so get behind me!”</p>
<p>	“<i>Narti, launch!</i>” Screamed Acxa, red lights flashing over her face and turning her eyes purple to match the tattoos lacing down her face. “<i>Ez, Zeth, are you out yet?!</i>”</p>
<p>	“<i>Launching now!</i>” Roared Zeth, the distinct punching of a button ringing out through the comms, and Narti raised a thumbs up as her fighter tore free of the battleship. “<i>We’re clear! Acxa, get out of there <b>now!</b></i>”</p>
<p>	Lotor growled, inching around Acxa’s battleship as explosions ripped along its port side, but his general pinned him with a glare.</p>
<p>	“<i>Lotor, if you come out here, you’ll get blasted to pieces!</i>” Snapped Acxa, crushing the controls down into a locked position under her foot. “<i>Stay where you are! I’ll come to you—!</i>”</p>
<p>	An explosion erupted through the comms, fire lighting up Acxa’s screen, and she shrieked as a shard of metal whipped through the air and bit into her cameras. The last Lotor saw of his sister was her turning to face the explosion ripping through the ship towards her, her circlet catching the glint of the flames and shoulders braced to dash back to the ones she loved.</p>
<p>	Then the screen flickered out into blackness and flames consumed the ship, rending metal apart and transforming the engine into a bomb. Lotor screamed as his sister’s battleship exploded, shrapnel bouncing off his hull and shredding an enemy fighter nearby, plumes of smoke billowing out from its carcass, and Acxa’s comm cut out.<br/>	“A-Acxa?” Murmured Lotor, his throat nearly swollen shut as fractures of glass trickled off of the cockpit. “Acxa, please, come in!”</p>
<p>	“<i><b>ACXA!</b></i>” Roared Allura, her shredded heart bleeding into her scream as the Red Lion tore into the battleship that had just…that might have just <i>killed her soulmate</i>. “<i><b>Acxa, where are you?! Please respond!</b></i>”</p>
<p>	Silence and static reigned.</p>
<p>Lotor wanted to sink to his knees, tears rising into his eyes, and scream until his voice gave out. He wanted to roar and curse out the cosmos, to shout until time gave in, to cry until death itself gave Acxa back to them. He wanted to tear apart the universe to get his sister back.</p>
<p>	He just wished that was an option.</p>
<p>	“Ezor, Zethrid, Narti!” He managed, shoving the names of his remaining family past his teeth. “Are you all onboard?”</p>
<p>	“<i>…Yeah, Lotor</i>,” replied Ezor, tears staining every breath, “<i>we’re all accounted for.</i>”</p>
<p>	“<i><b>Then let’s rain hell down on their heads,</b></i>” growled Lotor, a film of tears shining across his eyes, and he punched the missiles free from his battleship.</p>
<p>	Allura screamed, her Lion spinning a circle of lava through space and searing through half of the ships around her as she pounced on Acxa’s battleship.</p>
<p>	“Red, guard my back!” Shouted Allura, leaping out of her Lion’s seat and blasting free of Red’s mouth as her jetpack roared to life. “Acxa, if you can hear me, I’m coming!”</p>
<p>	Lotor swung his battleship between Red and the battlefield, unleashing a spiral of lasers into the incoming fighters.</p>
<p>	“<i>Bring her back to us, Allura!</i>” Cried Lotor, eyes blazing and fists tight around the controls. “<i>Please, bring Acxa home!</i>”</p>
<p>	Because he had an army to lead, he had an <i>empire</i> to lead. No matter how much he loved Acxa, no matter how badly he wanted to swoop down there himself and pull his sister out of the wreckage, he didn’t get that choice. There was more at stake here than them. He had to guide the rest of his family, the rest of other people’s families, in a battle for not only their honor, but their very <i>existence</i>. If they lost here, Lotor didn’t want to think about what Zarkon would do to all of them. He couldn’t afford to back down even an inch.</p>
<p>	“All units, <i>engage!</i>” He roared, unleashing the rest of his ships into the fray, and he threw his ship at the largest battleship in the back.</p>
<p>	After all, it was fairly rare for such a large ship to hang back so far…</p>
<p>	Allura swung through the sheared metal remains of the ship, her jetpack filling the carcass with an eerie blue glow that illuminated the shaking of her hands as she pushed deeper into the battleship with no sign of her love.</p>
<p>	Allura blasted off a nearby pole, tucking her knees close to her chest and sliding through a torn window to land in what she barely recognized as a shredded cockpit. She planted her feet on the metal and raised her chin high despite her trembling to survey the fractured room.</p>
<p>“Acxa, please, if you can hear me, say <i>something!</i>”</p>
<p>	Lotor gritted his teeth as he fired his ion cannon into the flagship, cracking into the shield that extended far beyond the cockpit to cover the whole ship. Lotor’s heart stopped. Only one person he knew had shields like that.</p>
<p>	Allura spun, a faint shine catching her eyes, and her blood ran cold as she spotted Acxa’s luxite knife on the ground. Allura knelt, fingers skimming the layer of ash coating the handle as she cradled it to her chest, tears catching on her eyelashes. Her love would rather die than let go of this knife.</p>
<p>	“<i>Acxa…!</i>”</p>
<p>	“Zarkon!” Snarled Lotor, spinning the power level on his ion cannon because he would be quiznaked if he let his father get away again when he was so close. “Not this time, father!”</p>
<p>	Lotor slammed his controls down towards the flagship, snapping his guns around to lock on the engine, and unleashed a missile towards the cockpit just as the ion cannon blasted a hole through the particle barrier. He dove down towards the fizzling opening that allowed him access to his greatest enemy, to the one who had tormented him his entire life, who had destroyed everything he held dear once, and he raised his chin with a growl.</p>
<p>Zarkon would not take everything from him again.</p>
<p>	Allura tucked Acxa’s knife safely in her belt, knees trembling under her and tears on the verge of overflowing as her jetpack sputtered to life again.</p>
<p>	“Allura?” Called Lance softly, the silent question slamming into her like a punch to the stomach, and a sob tore free from her lips as if in response.</p>
<p>	A hitching breath snuck out of Keith’s comm, and Allura barely had time to mute her own before she bent double and <i>screamed</i>. She curled around herself, hugging Acxa’s knife to her chest, and screamed until she couldn’t even imagine breathing.</p>
<p>She had lost her home again.</p>
<p>“<i>Lotor, wait, I found her!</i>” Shouted Ezor, her voice snapping through the comms like a whip, and Allura’s heart slammed into her ribs. “<i>I locked onto Acxa’s suit! She’s still alive!</i>”</p>
<p>	Lotor crumpled to the floor, tears finally sliding from his eyes as Ezor tore into the room with the coordinates out in front of her. “Allura, she’s close to you! Just fly more to the right and she should be right there for pickup!”</p>
<p>	“You couldn’t have done that sooner?” Groaned Lotor, rubbing his temples as explosions cracked against his ship and his missile lit up Zarkon’s ship like a fireworks show. “I can’t deal with any more of Acxa’s death-defying shenanigans.”</p>
<p>	“<i>I have her!</i>” Cried Allura, sobs wracking every word, and Lotor’s heart twisted in on itself; he had never heard anyone sound so…shattered before. “<i>I have her. Coran, come meet me at the Red Lion, she needs emergency medical care and a healing pod!</i>”</p>
<p>	“<i>On my way, Princess!</i>” Shouted Coran, and Lotor could finally draw breath in again.</p>
<p>	“I am going to lay into her for that later,” he grumbled. “Anyway, Ezor! Grab your battleship and lead the fleet for about ten dobashes!”</p>
<p>	He turned to the glowing battleship in front of him and unleashed another ion blast towards its cockpit. “I have some trash to take out.”</p>
<p>	Lotor’s nails bit into his gloves and Ezor saluted before dashing out of the room, her usually bubbly smile replaced with a grim smirk. She had her own work to do, after all.</p>
<p>	Lotor dove towards the battleship, eyes flicking over to Pidge’s whooping face and pumping arms. “Green Paladin,” he called, veering over the battleship and opening fire at the weakest bolts he could see that attached the cabin to the rest of the ship, “you wouldn’t happen to have any additional bombs, would you?”</p>
<p>	Maniacal laughter exploded through the comms, and Pidge’s face filled his screen with a battle-born smirk.</p>
<p>	“Come on, is that even a question?” She replied, and Lotor felt an involuntary quirk at the edges of his lips.</p>
<p>	Voltron’s joy was infectious.</p>
<p>	“Never for you, Green Paladin,” he replied, sniping down the droids trying to repair the particle barrier. “I’ll clear an opening for you; bomb him into the moon.”</p>
<p>	“Woo-hoo!” Cheered Pidge, tearing towards him, and Lotor blew out a long, slow breath.</p>
<p>	As much as he wanted to be the one to take down his father, to destroy him, he had already come within inches of killing Zarkon once before. He had done his best. Not only that, but he had an entire empire behind him, and he couldn’t just pawn that off on Ezor. He was no longer Prince Lotor, Zarkon’s son.</p>
<p>	He was Emperor Lotor of the Galran Alliance, and he would make the choice that his father never could: he would believe in others.</p>
<p>	So, as Lotor blasted away any obstructions, Pidge unleashed a flurry of bombs directly towards the weakened cabin. The Green Lion darted away, pivoting to guard Lotor’s cockpit and letting out a triumphant roar.</p>
<p>	“Let’s sit back and watch the show, oh great Emperor,” she teased, and Lotor chuckled.</p>
<p>	“Indeed,” he agreed as Zarkon’s cabin spun free of the ship, rocketing towards the moon with Haggar’s flagship and two Lions in hot pursuit; he drew back his shoulders and flashed a smile at his screen. “Allura, Lance, Keith, it is all up to you now.”</p>
<p>	“Roger that, Lotor,” replied Lance as the Black Lion bounded past, throwing him a smile. “We’ll throw in a punch for you.”</p>
<p>	“We shall not fail,” swore Allura, her Altean markings glowing and teeth practically biting through one another at the memory of her love’s suspended tears in the healing pod. “We leave this battle to you, Lotor.”</p>
<p>	“Good luck,” stated Keith.</p>
<p>	Lotor raised his hand in a salute, and the three Paladins returned the gesture before blasting off towards the moon as Zarkon crash-landed on the planet. Then Emperor Lotor turned back to the battlefield and twisted his controls to surge up to the front lines. “Everyone, assume formation C+! On our lives, <i>we shall bring an end to this here and now!</i>”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
<p>Sorry for the break in posting, lunch was ready. I hope you guys enjoy this!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. “Here and Now, Your Reign of Terror is Over!” — Allura Melenor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Allura was out of Red before her Lion had even touched down, bayard drawn and eyes catching the light reflected off the moon. Her jetpack flared to life, fingers reaching out to catch the waves of quintessence radiating from the moon, and Red landed behind her with a soft grumble.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Keith tightened his hold over Lance’s hand as they descended towards the new smoking crater Zarkon had made in their moon. Allura swooped off to intercept Haggar, and Lance rubbed his thumb over Keith’s. Zarkon was going to be unlike anything they had ever faced before. He wasn’t as easy to kill as humans; Lotor had stabbed him and Haggar had just teleported in and picked him up like it was nothing. Lance gritted his teeth. He honestly wasn’t sure what would be enough to beat him, but…the idea of killing someone like that……<br/>Lance exhaled out a harsh breath. He couldn’t risk thinking about that right now, that was something for him to find out with Keith. And he couldn’t afford to place his hand on his co-pilot’s shoulder in their usual check-in, but he could easily lean over and press a kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek as a greeting.</p>
<p>	“Hey, we’ve got this,” promised Lance, squishing his cheek against Keith’s for good measure. “He’s just one big grumpy space cat, kind of like Garfield if he was left in space and hadn’t been fed for a while.”</p>
<p>	Keith snorted so hard he nearly jerked off the chair, flailing to latch onto his boyfriend as Lance flipped his imaginary long hair and put his nose in the air with a suppressed giggle. “Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all night.”</p>
<p>	“What, only tonight?” Teased Keith, knocking his shoulder into Lance’s and catching a deeper breath between laughs. “Don’t worry,” he added, the words dancing between them like butterflies just freed from the cage as he flashed a sunshine smirk at his boyfriend, “I’ll keep you around after we win this war too.”</p>
<p>	“Ooooo, now that’s an offer I can get behind,” joked Lance, pressing a final kiss to Keith’s nose before yanking on his helmet. “Now then, Samurai, shall we?”</p>
<p>	Keith pulled his helmet over his ponytail and flashed that reckless grin that had braved everything from Robobeasts and the Blade of Marmora to beating up battleships in a fighter craft and battling his mother on the astral plane. The grin that said that, no matter what it took, everything was going to be okay.</p>
<p>	“Race ya, Sharpshooter!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Allura was out of Red before her Lion had even touched down, bayard drawn and eyes catching the light reflected off the moon. Her jetpack flared to life, fingers reaching out to catch the waves of quintessence radiating from the moon, and Red landed behind her with a soft grumble.</p>
<p>	“<i>I know, Red</i>,” she replied silently, turning to press her helmet to her Lion’s muzzle and stroke a hand over the thrumming metal, “<i>but it shall be far more difficult to fight a teleporter like Haggar if I am not on my feet to keep up with her. You heard what Pidge said.</i>”</p>
<p>	A stab of white-hot rage shot through their bond, memories of the lightning burns littering Pidge’s body as Allura pulled her into the cryopod flashing before her eyes, and her fingers snapped into a fist. “<i>Believe me, they shall not go unpunished for that,</i>” she snarled, “<i>but Pidge said that the only way to win was to keep pace with Haggar or to stop her from moving at all. That is my job. Yours is to destroy her ship and make sure that, no matter what, neither of these monsters can escape from here.”</i></p>
<p>	Red hissed, a sharp nod shuddering through the Lion in front of her, and Allura scratched her under the chin. “<i>Thank you. Now, let us bring this to an end.</i>”</p>
<p>	She turned, sunset armor glowing faintly in the moonlight, and Red blasted off behind her towards the dark ship planted on the bright surface. Allura raised her shoulders, bayard cracking into a whip and flowers flashing on her cheeks as she locked eyes with Haggar. The witch’s robes were stained and ragged, tears lining the hem of it, but her eyes were still lit up a harsh yellow and black lightning practically exploding from her fingertips.</p>
<p>	“Let us finish this here and now,” challenged Allura, jerking into a fighting stance as a snarl rippled through her words, “<i>Haggar!</i>”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“BLACK!” Shrieked Keith as the Lion spat him out along with Lance, the two of them bouncing along the moon’s surface as Lance gave an indignant cry.</p>
<p>	“Dude, not again! You already did this to me last time, knock it off!” Complained Lance, rolling into a fighting stance and whipping around to pout at their Lion as Black powered off. “Not cool, hermosa!”</p>
<p>	Keith spun into a crouch, bayard and luxite blade already flashing into his hands and lasilh sizzling on his cheek as his eyes flickered over their surroundings. Lance continued to frown at Black, reaching out and rubbing their nose as thunderclouds descended on his forehead. “Black? You okay?”</p>
<p>	Their Lion didn’t respond, not even nuzzling into Lance’s touch like they always did, and Keith tried to ignore the chill that wracked through his veins as he tapped a button on his belt to cancel out the lack of gravity on the moon. Lance bit his lip, the frost of Blue raising her shield to him slapping him in the face all over again, and he spun his bayard into a blaster in the blink of an eye.</p>
<p>	“Don’t worry, hermosa,” he murmured, spinning to take in the landscape along with this boyfriend, and raised his blaster to lean against his shoulder. “We’ll protect you!”</p>
<p>	Keith snapped his knife into a full sword, advancing as a faint shadow staggered out of the smoking heap of metal in front of them. Lance lined up a shot behind him, the faintest shift of his boots through the dirt sending a flash of warmth racing through his legs, and he dove to the side before his brain could catch up with his body. That turned out to be a smart idea.</p>
<p>	A stream of lasers whipped past him, curving through the dust to blast away the cover and dig holes into Zarkon’s armor as the Emperor advanced towards them. He had lost his extraneous armor and quintessence tubes, probably having fully recovered from his near-death experience at their hands and his son’s destruction of the life-support armor, but the murderous glint spitting from his eyes was still stronger than any ion beam Voltron had ever faced down. Lance’s lasers bounced off of his armor, barely so much as denting it, and Lance growled low in his throat. Keith glanced back, indigo eyes meeting ocean blue ones in with a crackle of lightning, and Lance’s lips curled up as a silent message flashed between them. <i>Let’s bring havoc down on this guy’s head.</i></p>
<p>Keith bolted across the moon, boots ripping through the rocks beneath him and swords glinting as Lance flicked his blaster into a rifle form and dropped to one knee to take better aim. Zarkon tore through the smoke, sword lighting up purple, and Keith’s pupils became slitted just at the sight of him, yellow bleeding into his sclera and teeth extending into fangs as they drew near. Lance unleashed two pinpointed attacks, biting into the shoulder joints of Zarkon’s armor, but the dictator didn’t even blink as he slashed his sword through Keith’s block, throwing his guard aside and kicking him across the battlefield.</p>
<p>“Keith!” Shouted Lance, bullets racing across the battlefield and striking the joints on Zarkon’s armored boots, blasting through the screws holding them together.</p>
<p>“I’m fine, Lance!” Replied Keith immediately, coughing as he skidded to a crouch across the ground and Zarkon charged.</p>
<p>The armor toppled off of Zarkon’s boots, clattering to the ground and burned metal stabbing into the former emperor’s feet while Lance smirked and Keith growled low in his throat. The Black Paladin stood back up, spitting blood from the side of his mouth as he flipped his swords into position. Lance leaned back, tilting his rifle and biting his lip; he just needed Zarkon to turn to the right a little more…</p>
<p>Zarkon whipped towards him, malevolence slashing across his eyes, and all the air dissolved in Lance’s lungs. Keith snarled, exploding towards Zarkon and, as the dictator turned to face him, Lance pulled the trigger.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Allura dove under a blast of lightning, rolling across the flaky ground and sucking quintessence into her fingers as she drove her fist into the ground. A crack exploded across the moon’s surface, biting towards Haggar while the witch vanished into thin air. Allura gritted her teeth, ripping her fist out of the ground and bringing it up to guard her face as her eyes snapped close. In a way, what she was doing now with quintessence was no different than what she had done before. The difference was that, where she had once manipulated the quintessence in her own body, now she had the cosmos at her fingertips.</p>
<p>Still though, as she dug her heels into the ground and let the universe’s power pump through her veins, she could almost hear Lance’s shots echoing through the quintessence field while she rerouted the quintessence through her body to refine certain senses. And, just as she had been sparing in that power, she needed to respect the universe’s quintessence too.</p>
<p>Allura pivoted, smashing a punch behind her, and Haggar’s terrified face vanished into smoke, the faint wisps of her quintessence curling around Allura’s fist. She never opened her eyes, but her lips curled up at the edges, and Red gave a purr that rumbled through her entire body. Then Allura took off.</p>
<p>She flipped through the air, slashing a kick through Haggar’s teleporting head and hitting the ground running. She jabbed a punch into Haggar’s wispy nose, the witch’s lips curling before vanishing, and Allura flung one hand into the ground, ducking her head low as her back leg lashed out, cracking against Haggar’s cheek. Allura spun back to her feet, sweat trailing from her forehead and catching the sparkle of her juniberry markings before being destroyed by her flying roundhouse kick. Haggar snarled, vanishing just a tick before Allura hit the ground, her cackles left fluttering behind for the princess like poisonous moths.</p>
<p>“You are not half the alchemist your parents were,” hissed Haggar, her voice echoing around Allura like a tornado. “And you shall be far easier to kill than they were.”</p>
<p>Allura’s hair stood up on its ends and Haggar unleashed a storm of quintessent lightning down on her horrified face with a shrieking laugh. “Sleep well, little princess!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zarkon let out a growl as Lance’s shots found their mark, tearing out the screws holding his breastplate together, and Keith plunged his swords towards Zarkon’s chest as the armor fell away into undersuit.</p>
<p>“You really think such weaklings as yourselves can stop me?!” Bellowed Zarkon, catching both of Keith’s swords with his armored gloves and hurling the Black Paladin into his co-pilot. “I am the greatest emperor this universe has ever seen!”</p>
<p>Keith groaned, and Lance cracked open an eye with a silent scream at how close Keith’s sword was to his face.</p>
<p>“Keith? Bud, I’m going to need some backup here!” Cried Lance, raising his gun just enough to fire a volley at Zarkon’s slowly approaching frame. “He’s just messing with us! We need to try a different strategy!”</p>
<p>Keith rolled off Lance, grimacing as he flicked his swords in front of him.</p>
<p>“Yeah, got any ideas?” He asked, gritting his teeth as a trickle of blood slid from his split lip and flooded his mouth with a metallic tang. “There’s not exactly a lot of terrain here to use to our advantage!”</p>
<p>“Well then,” shouted Lance over the blasts from his gun as Zarkon picked up the pace, flecks of purple hissing off his sword, and Lance locked eyes with Keith, “let’s make some!”</p>
<p>Keith drew in a sharp breath, lightning flashing between them with their shared grins, and their words surged to mind automatically as Lance swung his gun into an Altean broadsword and Keith flipped his sword back into a knife. It was the truth they carried with them in and out of battlefields because, no matter how far apart they were, Voltron always fought together.</p>
<p>
  <i>I’ve got you.</i>
</p>
<p>Their minds flowed over each other’s like waves on a shore, like coming home, like their hands sliding into one another’s after a long day of work, like clouds sliding together to form a bolt of lightning made to strike anyone who dared touch those they loved. Lance grinned as their hearts pounded in unison, his shield materializing between him and Zarkon, and he raised one indigo eye alongside his cerulean one to meet the emperor’s charge. Keith raced off, boots sending clouds of moon dust fluttering into the air as his breathing synchronized with Lance’s, and their emotions exploded side-by-side.</p>
<p>After all, this wasn’t their first mind meld. And they would be quiznaked if it was their last.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Allura screamed as the lightning arced through her body, sizzling atop her skin and digging cracks into her armor. She threw her head back, the pain exploding across her enhanced senses like ion beams, and Haggar let out a cackle above her.</p>
<p>“Do not forget, little princess,” snarled the witch, slowly lowering to the ground as Allura writhed in midair, “I have 10,000 decaphoebs of experience. Teleporting is a mere parlor trick.”</p>
<p>“Oh really?” Growled Allura, and Haggar sneered.</p>
<p>“You are in no position to act tough, princess. Now, while my lightning is focused on breaking your body,” she continued, lips snaking into a smile as she raised two fingers, “let us see how fast I can break your spirit.”</p>
<p>Allura just growled as Haggar snapped her fingers.</p>
<p>“I have bested a fear demon, I truly doubt there is much you can do to faze me.”</p>
<p>Haggar just cackled as black clouds swarmed Allura’s vision, the agony still writhing through every inch of her skin.</p>
<p>“We shall see about that.”</p>
<p>It was as if someone had detonated a bomb inside Allura’s head, images and sounds blurring past in a frantic race that tore all the air from her lungs. Her father’s castle collapsing over her, her mother’s battle cry as she led the royal guards in a charge against Zarkon, Coran’s pleas to remain by his brother’s side even as Alfor shook his head slowly, Haggar’s bolts of lightning decimating any who came near Zarkon, the glint of light in her eyes as she choked the life out of Allura’s mother, Zarkon’s attempts to break into the Black Lion’s room, the snap of Haggar’s wrist that wrenched all of the air from Alfor’s body and watched him turn blue, the satisfied grunt of Zarkon as his former best friend fell dead at his feet, it all moved so fast she could barely make sense of it.</p>
<p>Red growled low in the back of her head, and Allura let out a roar that reverberated through the astral plane as if the sheer force of sound waves could blow away the truths flashing before her eyes. The destruction of Altea, the energy beam that cut through the heart of her planet while the people who had looked up to the royal family to protect them, who trusted them and loved them, were wiped out in a single explosion. A single blast that the next planet over hadn’t even heard. They were all just…gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Keith stabbed his sword beneath a giant rock, praying that the moon’s lack of gravity wouldn’t betray him now, Lance spun, ducking beneath Zarkon’s blow and swinging at his exposed side. Zarkon flipped over the strike, using the sword he had casually embedded in the moon as a handhold to arc over Lance’s head and slashing at his back. Lance snarled, spinning as his broadsword glowed black, and smashed Zarkon’s blow aside. The bayard pulsed beneath his hand, and it almost seemed for a tick like Shiro was there grinning up at him from the blade, like his strength was flowing into Lance as well.</p>
<p>Keith tore a chunk of rock from the ground, a quick pulse shooting through his mind link with Lance in warning, and Black’s eyes flashed a searing gold.</p>
<p>Then Keith swung his sword like a baseball bat, the stored quintessence of generations of paladins exploding outward as he let out a battle cry and smashed the boulder towards Zarkon. It whipped through the chair, crashing into Zarkon’s exposed back and throwing shrapnel over him in a spray of biting edges.</p>
<p>“<i>Nice!</i>” Cheered Lance silently, rolling between Zarkon’s legs and bouncing up behind him as his bayard shifted into a gun and he blew a laser directly into the wound Keith had inflicted. “<i>Keep those fastballs coming, Samurai!</i>”</p>
<p>Keith just grinned and drove his sword into the ground again as Lance reverted to his broadsword and flitted around Zarkon’s strikes like a leopard. Black’s armor began to glow a sizzling black, and a faint growl of…<i>pride</i> in the back of her throat. Because they could do this for as long as it took. As long as it took to protect everyone they had ever loved. Lance would dive around Zarkon’s greatest weapons, Keith would upheave the entire moon if he had to, and with every spray of shrapnel on Zarkon’s armor, with every kick or shot Lance managed to get in, with every small victory, the glint in their eyes grew stronger.</p>
<p>They would not lose this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Allura clenched her fists, exhaling slowly as the cosmos swirled into her, rising like sea levels through her body, and a memory of Melenor reached desperately for Alfor as he burst from the palace doors just in time to watch his wife die bloomed in front of her. Allura slashed her arm through it, dissipating the memory into fragments of light creeping through the air, and she raised eyes of steel.</p>
<p>“Your mistakes are your own,” she declared, striding forwards with the clink of Lance’s barrette against her helmet matching her steps, “but they will not force me to make mistakes.”</p>
<p>A ripple spread through the astral plane, and Allura planted her feet in the ground as light exploded from her juniberry markings in a glowing fountain. “And I am finished with being so trapped in the past that I miss my chance at a future!”</p>
<p>Quintessence overflowed from her fingertips, bursting at the seams as her crystalline eyes lit up like cannon fire, and Red roared through her.</p>
<p>“Ahhhh, but the present is not as kind as you think,” hissed Haggar, and a flash of familiar green nearly strangled Allura.</p>
<p>But then a scream so mangled with pain that Allura would never have recognized it as her little sister’s flooded the room, and Pidge arced off the floor as black lightning ripped through her body. Her fingers were taut around her bayard, flickers of burns winding across any exposed skin, and Pidge’s eyes were jammed closed like her life depended on it. Her mouth was ajar, straining to open wider as her screams grew higher in pitch, lightning searing into her veins and her entire body spasming in time with Haggar’s laughter. Ice spread over Allura like a winter coat, her voice strangled before even touching her throat, and lava boiled in her stomach like a volcano on the verge of erupting.</p>
<p>	A single tear snaked down Pidge’s cheek.</p>
<p>	Explosions ruptured in Allura’s irises, blazing along her body, and quintessence swirled around her like a tornado of flames. It spun around her as the epicenter, growing constantly faster, a swirling mass of glowing energy with two radiating blue eyes at the center.</p>
<p>	“<i>How dare you.</i>”</p>
<p>	The words were icicles, points aimed straight at Haggar as Allura advanced through the swathes of memories trying to consume her, eyes overflowing with frost. “How <i>dare</i> you make my little sister cry. <i>How dare you make anyone else cry after having destroyed entire galaxies full of families!</i>”</p>
<p>	Allura flung an arm out as the quintessence compressed into her palm, and she raised her chin with a lightning storm pounding through her eyes. “<i>Let everyone know, here and now, <b>that your reign of terror is over!</b></i>”</p>
<p>	And with her tears dissolving in the light off her juniberry markings, Allura drew her shoulders back and blew apart the world surrounding her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Keith hissed as he dug out the next boulder; they had been at this for ages, and Zarkon’s sword was starting to find Lance’s armor more often. A couple of nicks to the shoulder pads, a graze against the arm guard, and even a stab at his helmet that almost made contact. Sweat was burning against Lance’s skin, his chest heaving and his heart thundering like a hurricane. He couldn’t afford to get hit even once. In the void of space, a single slice to his armor or crack in his helmet would instantly crush his lungs with the pressure difference, and none of them could defeat Zarkon alone.</p>
<p>Plus, Lance had promised to come home to his kids, hand-in-hand with Keith.</p>
<p>Zarkon roared, slicing through Keith’s next boulder, and Lance leapt back, firing off a volley at the emperor’s exposed neck before his feet had even grazed the ground.</p>
<p>“You are nothing!” Growled Zarkon, batting aside the shots with his gauntlets and jabbing a punch into Lance’s arm that sent him flying across the field. “You are all gnats before me; you do not deserve to pilot the Black Lion!”</p>
<p>“Neither do you!” Shouted Lance, skidding to a stop and unleashing a volley of shots to tear away the gauntlets protecting Zarkon’s fists. “Get over yourself! Black has moved on from you, and if you can’t respect your Lion’s decision,” he yelled, shifting to a broadsword and tearing towards Zarkon as Keith slammed the biggest boulder yet at him, “then you’re no paladin!”</p>
<p>Zarkon’s eyes flared, and Keith’s boulder crashed into his exposed back, throwing him to one knee, and Keith yanked out his own sword to charge.</p>
<p>“If you’re a Paladin, communicate with your Lion!” He screamed, closing in on Zarkon as Lance bore down on him. “You two are equals, aren’t you? <i>Then be there for them like they are for you!</i>”</p>
<p>After all, they weren’t the ones who had first realized how to meld their minds like this. Just as they could turn their bayards together and bring about more powerful weapons as Voltron, they could do that outside of their Lions as well. When they were truly in synch, when all of their thoughts burned down to a single endless goal, their bonds responded. They weren’t bonded through Voltron. Voltron was bonded together because of them.</p>
<p>Zarkon let out a howl, catching Keith’s blade and allowing it to tear into his hand as he whirled to slash his blade across Lance’s shoulder and down to his arm, ripping through the armor and tearing apart the undersuit before Lance could pull his arm out of the way with a scream.</p>
<p>“No one tells me how to pilot the Black Lion, especially not scum like you,” snarled Zarkon as Lance’s lips turned blue. “I am the original. I am far more than you will ever be.”</p>
<p>“<i><b>Lance!</b></i>” Shouted Keith, wildfire shooting into his eyes as he slammed his luxite blade into Zarkon’s arm, prying a howl from the dictator’s lips as he tore Zarkon away from his boyfriend. “Lance, can you breathe?!”</p>
<p>But, by the time Keith had spun to dash to his lover, Lance was gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Haggar howled as flaming red quintessence, veins of blue pulsing through it, snaked along her black lightning, dissolving the corrupted quintessence flickering through the electricity, and swirling over the witch’s arms. Allura’s eyes flew open in twin halos of blue energy, tears dissolving as her flowers exploded from her cheeks, vines and juniberry blossoms forged from pure quintessence pouring down and spinning into bracelets around Haggar’s wrists.</p>
<p>“You will never harm another person as long as I draw breath!” Roared Allura, ripping her arm down and securing the bracelets around Haggar. “And you shall not make a monster of me!”</p>
<p>The bracelets pulled taut, slamming Haggar into the ground, and Allura hovered down in front of her, eyes still flooded with glowing quintessence. She stepped forwards slowly, the tears of her father, pleas of her mother, and screams of her sister still fresh in her mind, and Haggar growled.</p>
<p>But, as the one who had killed her parents looked at her with pure hate, the quintessence flaming in Allura’s eyes burned away the snarling witch in front of her, leaving behind the sobbing Honerva. Her forehead was buried in the moon’s surface, tears streaming from her eyes and hiccups shaking her shoulders as the child she had considered her niece stood in front of her with rage in her heart. Honerva raised her eyes, a single plea in them, and Allura trembled.</p>
<p><i>Please</i>, begged Honerva silently, hands shaking beneath the gentle bracelets, <i>please kill me. Save my son, save my husband! Please kill me! Don’t let me hurt anyone else!</i></p>
<p>The quintessence ruptured from Allura’s eyes, leaving only the cerulean irises overflowing with tears as she stared at the snarling witch that her beloved aunt had become. Honerva had been her mother’s best friend and, no matter what, she was Lotor’s mother. She was the one he took pride in. She was the one Allura had loved so deeply as a child.</p>
<p>“You cannot kill me!” Snarled Haggar, a wicked smile crawling up her lips. “You do not have the stomach for it. Not only that, but only I know how to defeat Zarkon. Do you not wish to know the secret, young princess?”</p>
<p>Allura’s heart cracked, and she knelt before the witch who had taken everything she had loved with tears soaking her cheeks.</p>
<p>“Honerva,” she called. “Lotor loves you dearly. Please, believe me.”</p>
<p>Haggar’s lips wavered, and Allura placed her palms together as the cosmos’ quintessence bubbled beneath her skin. It wanted vengeance. It wanted revenge on the one who had corrupted part of it, who had manipulated it to hurt others, who had upset the balance of the very universe for her own gain.</p>
<p>It wanted death.</p>
<p>And, tears streaming from Allura’s chin, she placed her hands on either side of Haggar’s head. Honerva smiled.</p>
<p>
  <i>Thank you, kind child. You have grown into a fine queen.</i>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Black roared where Lance had been ticks ago, the Lion now made of glowing quintessence and no taller than the ones Keith had known on Earth. Lance crouched beside them, eyes pinched closed while their essence poured over him, and Keith’s breath caught in his throat as his boyfriend began to glow. Lance’s freckles spun into stars across his sun-kissed cheeks, an ocean cloak blossoming over his back with scarlet metal shoulder pads pinning its folds to his armor, and purple lines streaking up his armor. His torn suit knitted itself back together, and Lance’s head tipped back as a golden crown carved itself into the black of his helmet like pure light summoned to the sun, three thin rectangles rising from the drawn circlet as if to pierce the void with the blue, red, and black gems atop each point of the crown. Black’s eyes were a hissing gold, hair standing on end as they growled at the stunned Zarkon, and Keith dashed towards the snarling Lion.</p>
<p>“Lance!” He cried, skidding across the ground to kneel in front of his boyfriend and cup his cheek tenderly, thumb sweeping over his glowing freckles. “Lance, please, talk to me!”</p>
<p>Lance groaned, and a wave of Black’s energy swept over Keith’s head as he cried out for his partner again, gripping him tightly as if he could pull him back to shore with a single touch. “Lance, I swear, if you die on me like this—!”</p>
<p>Lance hacked, Black’s quintessence sweeping into his chest like water soaking into a crack, and Keith dragged Lance into a crushing hug. “You’ve got to breathe,” he pleaded, pressing a kiss into his boyfriend’s cheek as tears forced their way into his eyes, “Lance, I need you here with me. Please,” begged Keith, a single tear dropping onto Lance’s billowing cape as he felt that beloved pulse slow beneath his fingers, “don’t you <i>dare</i> leave me too!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Allura ripped her hands back, tearing out a swath of wriggling and hissing black quintessence from the witch growling in front of her. It was nothing like the warmth of Lance or Keith’s quintessence, she reflected, and didn’t hold the softness of Shiro’s. It was like a wild animal, snarling and tearing at its bonds, twisting around in a furious hunt for someone to bite, to devour, to corrupt. It was looking to kill.</p>
<p>Allura smiled down at Honerva as her tears were finally allowed to drip down her face, and she etched the symbol for water and fire over the corruption to begin the purification process.</p>
<p>“Welcome back, Honerva,” she said, releasing her lingering rage and hatred in a gentle exhale, and the quintessence in her hand began to glow with a softer light. “Welcome home.”</p>
<p>Honerva stared at the soil beneath her fingers, and sucked in a deep breath like it was her very last. She raised her eyes to meet Allura, tears overflowing as her feet began to turn to ash, drifting away to join in the moon’s soil.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she breathed, the love in her eyes nearly knocking Allura off her feet because they were so, so, so much like Lotor’s. “Thank you, Allura. Finally, I can pass on in peace.”</p>
<p>“What?” Cried Allura as the water finished washing away the corruption of the quintessence, allowing the fire to dissolve any final traces into steam. “No, Honerva! You have a second chance now!”</p>
<p>Honerva chuckled as the numbness crept up her legs, blocking any pain from filling her body as it returned to the dust that once made it up.</p>
<p>“No, I have had a long, long life with many second chances in it,” she replied as Allura dropped to her knees in front of her, tears filling up those beautiful crystalline eyes so much like Melenor’s that it sucked the air from Honerva’s throat. “Now it is time to pass on to my final chance. Thank you,” she whispered, reaching out to cup Allura’s cheek and wipe away the stray tear slipping past the princess’ markings as the witch’s torso continued to dissolve into ash, “thank you for letting me go as myself.”</p>
<p>Allura bowed her head, the last bit of the corrupted quintessence that had sustained Haggar’s life for 10,000 decaphoebs vanishing back into the cosmos, leaving only a faint golden trail behind it. Honerva chuckled, pressing a kiss to her helmet. “If I may be selfish…will you please allow my husband to pass on as himself too?” She murmured, her hands dissolving and the tips of her hair melting away into dust. “I know I have no right to ask anymore of you, but if you see fit to return him to me…”</p>
<p>A soft smile curved over her lips, and all of Allura’s breath was blown from her lungs as Honerva tilted her head up, a vision of Acxa’s grin flashing before Allura’s eyes, and gave a broken laugh as she spoke. “…I would be grateful.”</p>
<p>Allura could only stare, tears streaming from her eyes and tremors rippling through her shoulders, but she jerked out a nod as a faint whimper tore past her lips. Honerva’s eyes lit up, and she pressed her forehead to Allura’s as she dissolved into dust, her final words slipping through the air like stars.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Allura. Now go; go and be the fine queen you were born to be.”</p>
<p>By the time she had blinked, Allura was left kneeling before a pile of dust and old robes that had once been the greatest alchemist of Altea, the mother of Lotor, the loving wife of Zarkon. And, no matter what she had done since, no matter how badly she had hurt Allura and her family, she couldn’t help but tilt her head back and let a single tear drip into the ash.</p>
<p>“And I hope you find peace, Honerva,” she murmured, pushing herself back to her feet and turning to Red as her Lion flew down towards her, nuzzling into her outstretched hand and allowing Allura to lean against her with flashing crystalline eyes. “Now, let’s go, girl. I have a promise to keep.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Black's Princes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Keith blinked, only then thinking to glance down to see what ‘upgrades’ Black had given him. Spiked shoulder pads adorned his armor, a few additional barbs sprouting from the glowing circles on his boots like wings, and a fiery red glowed along his boots. Crimson lines crossed his armor, a few extending across his arms, and a flame lined in gold reached up to touch the edge of his chestplate’s Voltron insignia. He didn’t even have to glance up to know a golden crown, rounder curves with a red and black gem in it, was carved into his helmet either; he could see it in the reflection off of Lance’s helmet. Lance just grinned.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lance’s eyes blew wide open, a gasp tearing from his lips as the final red and blue lines crested into a wave right under his black Voltron insignia. He lurched forwards, bumping into Keith and practically feeling his boyfriend’s heart start beating again. Keith gave a half-sob, squeezing Lance until his ribs let out a half-hearted <i>crack</i>.</p>
<p>	“Keith…! A-ir!” Choked out Lance, and Keith let out a watery chuckle before shoving Lance back and punching him lightly in the shoulder.</p>
<p>	“You idiot.”</p>
<p>	Lance just shrugged, grinning as he glanced down before cocking a smirk at his boyfriend.</p>
<p>	“Eh, I’d say my ‘idiocy’ got us some sweet upgrades.”</p>
<p>	Keith blinked, only then thinking to glance down to see what ‘upgrades’ Black had given him. Spiked shoulder pads adorned his armor, a few additional barbs sprouting from the glowing circles on his boots like wings, and a fiery red glowed along his boots. Crimson lines crossed his armor, a few extending across his arms, and a flame lined in gold reached up to touch the edge of his chestplate’s Voltron insignia. He didn’t even have to glance up to know a golden crown, rounder curves with a red and black gem in it, was carved into his helmet either; he could see it in the reflection off of Lance’s helmet. Lance just grinned.</p>
<p>	“These are my paladins!” Bellowed Black, growling at Zarkon’s stricken expression. “They are my choices and I would not trade them for the whole universe! And certainly not for a traitor like you!”</p>
<p>	Keith stood as a matching pair of black earrings crystallized on his and Lance’s ears, his sword drawn. Lance crouched, pulling out his bayard, which hummed with a faint white glow to match the black one already sizzling around it. Black crouched, a growl between her teeth and golden eyes flaming as she faced down her first Paladin. “I shall never let you hurt my kits! Your reign ends here, Zarkon!”</p>
<p>	Zarkon let out a scalding roar, his sword pulsing with purple energy as Lance lined up a shot and Keith leaned back into a fighting stance. Black snarled.</p>
<p>	“How dare you make <i>these puny humans</i> the Princes of Voltron?!” Bellowed Zarkon, slashing his sword in an arc that flung a boomerang of glittering quintessence at the group. “Did everything we have mean nothing to you?!”</p>
<p>	“<i><b>NO!</b></i>” Roared Black as Lance tackled Keith out of the way, firing off a shot on Zarkon as they dodged the arc of death carving through the moon’s surface. “Rather, you have meant everything to me for far too long! You are no longer my Paladin, Zarkon! Lance and Keith are! They are true Paladins, more than you ever were!”</p>
<p>	Zarkon howled, and Keith snapped out his luxite blade as Lance spun his rifle into position behind a rock they had unearthed. Black paced towards Zarkon, and Lance lined up a shot as Keith stole into Black’s shadow to advance.</p>
<p>	“<i>Princes of Voltron?</i>” Asked Lance silently, even his mind’s voice soft as he fired off a volley. “<i>What are they talking about?</i>”</p>
<p>	“<i>Heck if I know</i>,” replied Keith, creeping closer to Zarkon and readying his glowing blades. “<i>We can harass Black about it later. For now, let’s go ahead and let Black distract him.</i>”</p>
<p>	Lance raised an eyebrow, spinning his bayard into a sword, and flashing a grin at Keith.</p>
<p>	“<i>Eh, I’ll give them a hand</i>.”</p>
<p>	Keith’s eyes blew wide, but Lance just chuckled as he launched himself over the boulder, sprinting across the ground as Zarkon narrowed in on him with a snarl. Lance’s grin turned to a lightning bolt and he propelled himself off of Black’s back with a quick mental apology to the Lion as he leapt high over Zarkon’s head with a battle cry. The emperor’s eyes flashed like a wildfire, and he raised his sword to intercept Lance’s downward swing without even bothering to look.</p>
<p>	“You have truly fallen, Black Lion!” He roared as a harsh <i>CLANG</i> echoed across the battlefield. “To resort to relying on such foolish paladins as this! They can’t even land a single blow on me!” He snarled, raising his chin as Keith’s shadow stole across the moon. “They are nothing more than bugs to me. I would advise coming with me quietly, or I will find a way to destroy even a Lion of Voltron!”</p>
<p>	“Not happening!” Shouted Lance, and Zarkon let out a roar of pain as the Altean broadsword dug into his stomach, lightning flickering from the blade as Lance’s shield finally dissolved against the emperor’s sword.</p>
<p>Lance’s eyes flashed, his teeth digging into one another, and his hair stood on end as electricity crackled through the air. Keith’s breath came in sharply as light pulsed through the black bayard, Zarkon’s twisted lips pulled back, and Black smiled grimly as Lance’s eyes glowed a crystalline blue.</p>
<p>“<i>You can do this, my prince</i>,” they promised.</p>
<p>He dug his sword in deeper, his boots hitting the ground in a heavy stance, and quintessence blazing through every inch of his body.</p>
<p>“You forgot, even bugs can be poisonous sometimes!” Roared Lance, throwing his shoulder forward as lightning exploded from the sword, white volts arcing through Zarkon’s body as he let out a feral scream, and Keith charged in to join his partner. “And even the mighty can be brought down when the weak join hands!”</p>
<p>“It’s pointless!” Bellowed Zarkon, pulling back his sword with straining muscles and wild eyes. “You are finished! Not even your puny lightning can stop me. You have wasted the greatest power of the universe, and now you are going to pay for it!”</p>
<p>“Not as long as there are two Black Paladins!” Boomed Keith, driving both of his swords through Zarkon as electricity sent his hair exploding free of the ponytail. “We’ll never let anyone suffer because of <i>you</i> ever again!”</p>
<p>Zarkon threw back his head with a howl as lightning blazed across his body, flashing and rippling over him like snakes, and Lance’s gems began to glow in time with Keith’s. Black paced forwards, steps slow against the moon, and Keith growled low in his throat. He dug his boots in, the lines of color pulsing across his armor as the quintessence was quickly sapped from his body. Lance’s shoulders shook beside him, the light flickering out from him, and Keith’s teeth snapped against each other. Zarkon writhed, the lightning curving into his bloodstream, and Keith raised his head as Black finally drew near them, grief already in their eyes.</p>
<p>“<i>This has to be enough</i>,” he pleaded as blood trickled from Lance’s mouth, his eyes shining like stars about to go supernova. “<i>Black, tell us this is enough to stop him!”</i></p>
<p>Black stepped between them, fur just grazing their shoulders as a wave of regret washed through their bond, regret that they couldn’t take their paladins’ place, and Keith tried desperately to focus on anything but the implications of what that and the warmth running from his nose meant. Lance’s lungs shuddered through an exhale, and he raised his eyes to the stars above as his lightning turned a deep purple.</p>
<p>“Lance, no!” Screamed Keith as his partner’s life force flowed into the lighting. “Don’t you dare do this to us! We can’t lose you <i>again!</i>”</p>
<p>“I’m not letting anyone touch Nadia or Sylvio <i>ever</i> again,” stated Lance, the purple flashing through his eyes, and Keith didn’t even notice when his own lightning lit up a deep red.</p>
<p>Because he knew Lance didn’t want this. He didn’t want to give up his life anymore, didn’t want to sacrifice himself and leave the ones he loved behind to cry. He knew Lance wanted to run back to Sylvio and Nadia, to sweep them into a hug that crushed the air from their lungs, to go on hoverbike races with him across the galaxy, to join in Shiro and Adam’s wedding. He knew Lance wanted to be Pidge’s rubber duck even just one more time, he wanted to cook with Hunk, to talk for vargas with Coran, to dance late into the night with Allura and tease her about Acxa. He wanted to go home. Lance wanted a future alongside them, standing hand-in-hand with his family and facing the unknown with a smile because no one could break them as long as they were together.</p>
<p>“So, if this is the end of the line,” Lance added, turning to Keith with a smile gentler than any flower and overflowing with honesty, “just remember that I love you.”</p>
<p>Keith knew Lance better than he knew his own heart. And, no matter how badly Lance wanted to go home to the ones he loved, he would abandon all of that if it meant the ones he loved had a home to go back to. And Keith wasn’t any different. He never had been; that was why they were the Black Paladins of Voltron.</p>
<p>
  <i>You both have an unconditional love for this universe, for your families, and for one another. You will not find people who share that kind of devotion easily. Treasure it in one another.</i>
</p>
<p>Keith bit his lip as all his energy poured into the lightning, the sword burning up under his hands, and he reached out to catch Lance’s extended hand like it was the last thing he would ever feel. Zarkon roared, the lightning streaming up through him, and Black bowed their head.</p>
<p>“<i>You two have a very strong life force. I’m sorry I cannot lend my own, we Lions cannot control our quintessence as you humans can. And it is too…feral to offer for you to keep. I will lend my aid, though</i>,” they promised. “<i>And together…it will be enough to accomplish our goal.</i>”</p>
<p>Keith’s breath vanished. He raised his head, locking eyes with Lance’s gentle irises, and he wanted nothing more in the universe right then than to kiss those tears off his boyfriend’s cheeks. If this really was the end…</p>
<p>“I love you too, Lance.”</p>
<p>…Then Keith wanted to go down smiling.</p>
<p>	So, fingers intertwined and teary smiles shared over their lips, Black’s quintessence flooding into their bond like a tidal wave, and heads raised to the stars they had always wanted to see together, Keith and Lance closed their eyes for the last time.</p>
<p>	“<i>I love you.</i>”</p>
<p>	The lightning exploded from their bodies, stealing all the life from them and transforming it into a spear of pure lightning. Black roared, quintessence pouring out from them, and caught the spear between their teeth.</p>
<p>	“<i>I will not let you down, my princes.</i>”</p>
<p>	Zarkon screamed as the lightning coursed through him, and Black closed their eyes. “<i>This will be the last kit I lose.</i>”</p>
<p>	Black drove the spear through Zarkon’s chest, the purple lightning exploding in waves throughout the emperor, and his shouts were cut short. The emperor toppled to the ground, his armor crashing around him, and Black collapsed between him and the paladins they loved more than they had thought possible.</p>
<p>	And, unseen by the universe, Keith and Lance fell, hands still intertwined, and smiles frozen on their faces as they sank into the moon’s surface. A cloud of moon dust puffed around them like a first snowfall, like the start of a new beginning, and their chests lay still, peace finally on their eyelids.</p>
<p>	For, in death, they were finally victorious. The ones they loved were safe. And that was all they had ever asked for. The magnetic stars that had guided the universe onto the path of peace could finally, truly, rest. Together.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Mercy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Death was starting to feel like a social construct to Lance. Look, one tick he’s feeling the last of his life force shoot out of his body and the final trace of this insane life is Keith’s hand in his, and the next, he’s opening his eyes to see his sister’s tear-stricken, vengeful face.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Death was starting to feel like a social construct to Lance. Look, one tick he’s feeling the last of his life force shoot out of his body and the final trace of this insane life is Keith’s hand in his, and the next, he’s opening his eyes to see his sister’s tear-stricken, vengeful face.</p>
<p>	“Lance! Keith! Oh, thank Altea, you’re alive!” Cried Allura, throwing her arms around their necks and burying her face into their shoulders. “What on my mother’s blood were you two thinking, you quiznaking idiots?! You should be grateful Black was able to keep your hearts beating long enough for me to find you!”</p>
<p>	“How are we even…?” Groaned Keith, and Lance nearly sobbed at the beautiful sound of his boyfriend’s voice. “I thought we…”</p>
<p>	“You did,” replied Allura through gritted teeth, pulling them impossibly closer, fists clenching and unclenching against their backs. “Black had to restart your hearts with shots of quintessence. By the time I made it here, they had brought you back three times! I tapped into the traces of quintessence you shared with Black and managed to hunt down your quintessence through it. Luckily for all of us, your spirits were still tied to your quintessence, so I was able to bring you both back to life, but don’t you dare pull something like that ever again!”</p>
<p>	Lance winced at the break in Allura’s voice, the way her eyes shone like glass on the verge of shattering when she pulled back and her hands clasping theirs like it was the last time she would ever see them. It nearly had been. She locked eyes with them, tears wobbling on the edges of her irises, and squeezed their hands softly. “Nothing, not even defeating Zarkon, is worth losing family. Because, as long as we are together, we can find a way to win this war. So, please,” she said, drawing their hands to her lips and pressing a kiss to them, “believe in us and <i>live.</i>”</p>
<p>	Keith was still vibrating, his hand shaky against Allura’s touch, and Lance was vaguely aware that tears were streaming down his cheeks. He was alive. Keith was alive. They had survived. He hadn’t wanted to die, hadn’t wanted to make that call, but he couldn’t risk letting Zarkon hurt anyone else he loved, but <i>in the process, <b>he</b> had hurt the ones he loved instead!</i></p>
<p>	“I’m sorry,” murmured Keith, pulling his boyfriend and space sister into a shaky hug. “I-I’m sorry. I just couldn’t……”</p>
<p>	He trailed off helplessly, and Lance squeezed his hand softly.</p>
<p>	“Just couldn’t stand the risk of losing all of you,” he finished, and Keith jerked out a nod. “I couldn’t either. I didn’t want to see anyone else I love get hurt. I’m sorry. All I did was hurt you in the end.”</p>
<p>	“Because we want that too!” Ground out Allura, and Black purred out a stern agreement. “We can’t stand the ideas of losing you guys either. So if you really want to protect us,” she snapped, her eyes flashing like a leopard’s, “then stay alive long enough to watch our backs!”</p>
<p>	Lance froze, eyes blowing wide, and Keith hung his head, the memories of Naxzela he had buried for so long bursting at the seams as Allura leaned back with a sigh. “You two aren’t expendable. We love you, so please……start acting like that means something to you.”</p>
<p>	“It does!” Cried Lance, seizing her hand and raising his head to lock eyes with the sister he had claimed as his own long before the tattoos seared into their arms that confirmed it. “It does. And I promise, that was the last time. I won’t be that reckless again.”</p>
<p>	Keith raised an eyebrow at that.</p>
<p>	“Uh, I’ll be that reckless again,” he stated, folding his arms defiantly. “I’ll just do it with lower stakes.”</p>
<p>	Allura chuckled, swiping at her eyes and folding her hand over his with a tender smile.</p>
<p>	“I suppose that is acceptable,” she declared, and Keith squeezed her hand with a grin.</p>
<p>	He slid his other hand over Lance’s, who intertwined their fingers with a soft smile, and pressed a kiss to Keith’s cheek.</p>
<p>	“Sorry, I shouldn’t have dragged you into that,” he murmured. “I’ll be better about that next time.”</p>
<p>	Keith chuckled, catching Lance’s heavenly lips in his own kiss, and tugged his boyfriend a bit closer.</p>
<p>	“I made my own decision. And don’t worry,” he breathed into the smile creeping up his love’s face, “we have a lifetime to get better at this stuff together.”</p>
<p>	“And we’ll be here to help,” promised Allura, a wicked grin spreading over her face. “Next time you pull something like this, I’m going to separate you two for a week.”</p>
<p>	“Demon.”</p>
<p>	“Takes one to know one, Keith.”</p>
<p>	“ACTUALLY—”</p>
<p>	“NO—”</p>
<p>	“—I SEEM TO KNOW PLENTY OF STRAIGHTS—”</p>
<p>	“OUR ENTIRE FAMILY IS GAY, SHUT YOUR QUIZNAK!”</p>
<p>	“—AND I’M GAY AS A RAINBOW ON A SUGAR HIGH OF SKITTLES AND MARSHMALLOWS!”</p>
<p>	“Lance, you are a terrible influence.”</p>
<p>	“Excuse you, I am the best!”</p>
<p>	Allura huffed out a laugh as Keith grinned and Lance pouted in false indignance. She still had them. With all of their insanity, all of their quirks and flaws, with everything that made them her brothers and the best leaders that the universe had ever seen, she still had her Keith and Lance.</p>
<p>	And she would continue to ream them later but, for now, she had a promise to keep.</p>
<p>	“Black told me that you two successfully knocked out Zarkon,” she said, standing up and dusting off her hands as her brothers joined her, their fingers still locked in each other’s. “I have found a way to defeat him without killing h—”</p>
<p>	“HE’S <i>KNOCKED OUT?!</i>” Erupted Keith, fire exploding in his eyes, and one hand automatically reached back for his knife as Lance’s jaw dropped in betrayal. “Only knocked out?! We stabbed him three times! We pumped him full of two people’s <i>quintessence lightning life force!</i> We <i>died</i> to beat him! <i><b>How is he still alive?!</b></i>”</p>
<p>	Lance dragged his hands down his eyes in a seemingly endless groan, and Allura giggled with a shake of the head.</p>
<p>	“Zarkon is practically a being made of pure quintessence,” she reminded them, turning as the Black Lion stalked forwards, Zarkon’s limp body between their jaws. “He went toe-to-toe with the Red Lion. The fact that you were able to knock him out is quite impressive.”</p>
<p>	Keith huffed, starting up a running stream of complaints under his breath, and Lance happily joined in while Allura cackled. She had to admit, watching her brothers give up their lives to take down this dictator who had nearly enslaved the universe, wiped out her people, and had blown up planets without regard for life or love, had come within two inches of snapping her promise to Honerva right then and there. The universe had already lost enough loved ones to this corrupted ex-emperor’s schemes, and Allura wasn’t sure she could bear to witness another.</p>
<p>	“Thank you,” she said softly as Black lowered Zarkon to her feet, the emperor’s face still and…almost peaceful.</p>
<p>	Like getting fried by lightning was exactly what the doctor had ordered. Allura crouched, her armor creaking slightly from the places where Haggar had chipped it, and she placed her hands on either side of Zarkon’s head. He groaned, stirring under her touch, and Black growled, lightning rippling through their mane to zap him lightly. After grasping the lightning spear that Lance and Keith had created from their purest life forces, some of their power had transferred to Black, though what they currently had was still hardly called control. “Lightly zapping” still meant Allura got an up-close-and-personal light show.</p>
<p>	Lance was at her side in a tick, blaster snapping back to his hand, and Keith’s sword was drawn beside her before she even registered that he was there. Lance winked at her, and Keith lowered his stance just a bit.</p>
<p>	“We’ve got your back, Allura,” he vowed.</p>
<p>	<i>Stay alive long enough to watch our backs!</i></p>
<p>	Allura smiled down at her hands, reaching out to grasp Zarkon’s head again as quintessence flooded through her.</p>
<p>	“I know,” she promised. “That’s why I know I can do this.”</p>
<p>	“Never doubted you for a tick,” replied Lance, grinning even as he trained his blaster at the emperor; <i>no one</i> was going to hurt his sister ever again.</p>
<p>	Allura closed her eyes as the cosmos surged through her, vying to tear Zarkon into pieces, to rip all the quintessence from his body and destroy his soul in one fell sweep, to blow him up from the inside, to kill him as ruthlessly as he had killed those who pleaded for their lives. He was completely at Allura’s mercy now. The man who had decided to kill her mother and father, who had killed Coran’s daughter, wife, and husband, who had destroyed her home, her universe, her <i>everything</i> before trying to take her brothers from her yet again. He had exposed the world to cruelties barely fathomable before, and Allura was happy to see the Emperor brought to justice for that by her brothers. Now, though, it was time to bring Zarkon to justice and let the former Black Paladin of Voltron speak for himself.</p>
<p>	Allura had sworn she wouldn’t sacrifice anyone, after all.</p>
<p>	So, in one sharp movement, she latched onto the pure quintessence that had corrupted her father’s best friend for over 10,000 decaphoebs, and ripped it out of his body like a poisoned heart. It practically roared in Allura’s hands, snapping and lashing at the world around, leaping at the princess that had torn it free of its beloved host. Keith and Lance whipped their swords in unison, quintessence lightning arcing through their blades into fireworks as they fried the offending quintessence. Allura didn’t even blink, drawing the glyphs for fire and water over Zarkon’s head as Black paced a race track around them.</p>
<p>	“He has been deeply infected, probably due to Haggar’s efforts to bring him back to life after our battle with him,” she stated, pressing the symbols into his forehead and biting her lip. “This might be a bit more complicated than Honerva was.”</p>
<p>	Keith’s eyes lit up, and Lance flashed a firework grin at his boyfriend because <i>of course</i> their sister had kicked the witch’s butt. Of course she had figured out a way to end this without murdering them. They had avoided it up to this point, and it was something everyone was proud of. Here, at the close of the war, Haggar and Zarkon would not now succeed in breaking Voltron’s pride.</p>
<p>	“You’ve got this.”</p>
<p>	Allura giggled, flipping her imaginary hair outside of her helmet and flashing a wink at Lance.</p>
<p>	“I know.”</p>
<p>	Keith rolled his eyes as the siblings shared high-fives. He turned his eyes on Zarkon as the final wiggling shards of corrupted quintessence tore out of his body, a golden wave of purification washing over them. Zarkon’s eyes cracked open, a faint purple color almost like Krolia’s, and Keith’s breath caught in his throat</p>
<p>	“Ho…nerva?” He murmured, his eyes straying towards Allura, but when she turned with that sharp jerk, that little roll of the shoulders, that was entirely hers, his face fell. “Lotor…? Are you safe, my son?”</p>
<p>	“He is,” promised Lance, crouching next to Allura even as Keith readied his sword just in case; this was part of what made them a good team. “Lotor is safe, and Honerva is just waiting for you to join her.”</p>
<p>	Zarkon groaned, his boots beginning to dissolve back into dust, and Keith slid his stance back just a little further.</p>
<p>	“……Please tell me it was all a bad dream,” he murmured, the ash consuming his legs, and Allura winced.</p>
<p>	To watch yourself help kill your best friend, wipe out a civilization you loved as your own, and eradicate the universal peace you had dedicated your life to creating, powerless to stop any of it, was not an experience Allura ever hoped to relate to. She glanced up at Lance, whose lips were tilted in a grimace, and Keith, who had lowered his sword a little bit, his chin dipping. Allura squeezed Zarkon’s hand a final time and shook her head.</p>
<p>	His eyes bloomed wide, the sea at midnight swirling within, and lowered his head in apology as the ash sucked away his chest. He reached up gently, his claws shrinking in as he cradled Black’s face.</p>
<p>	“I’m sorry,” he murmured, tears pricking at his eyes, and he turned to Lance, Allura, and Keith with an expression all of them recognized painfully from the mirror after a failed battle. “Thank you for rising up to protect the universe I……I put in danger. You are truly,” he added, tears choking his throat as his fingers dissolved from Black’s cheek, and he closed his eyes in a silent acceptance, “the greatest generation of paladins to ever be.”</p>
<p>	So, with the faintest tilt of a smile on his lips, Emperor Zarkon, who had terrorized the universe for over 10,0000 decaphoebs after protecting it for so long, vanished back to the dust that had once made him, his final words nothing more than ghosts in the air.</p>
<p>	“I’m coming, Honerva.”</p>
<p>	Allura bowed her head, the same one he had once placed a helmet on that she worshipped throughout her childhood. He had once been the savior of Altea. It was her duty not to forget that piece of the story.</p>
<p>	Lance snapped a salute to the ashes at the same time as Keith folded into a bow for the warrior that had created the empires he had eventually sought to destroy. At least he got a chance, after so long being forced to watch himself commit atrocities helplessly, to smile again as himself, one last time.</p>
<p>	“Thank you for your service.”</p>
<p>	Lance slid one hand into Keith’s, who tilted up to smile softly at him. After all, for all that they would never rejoice in the war itself because of what it had done to the aliens they had seen, neither of them could regret who they had become or what they had accomplished. And they wouldn’t have this family, this love, or this version of themselves without Zarkon.</p>
<p>	Because, from even the worst tragedies, a few glimmering hopes could ignite joy and change. That was all that Voltron had ever been. They were <i>hope</i>. And that was more than enough. So, fingers intertwined, they placed a hand on their sister’s shoulder, and Lance crouched to press a kiss to her forehead while Keith smiled tenderly.</p>
<p>	And, high above in the sky, a black star and a purple star swooped into each other’s arms, finally reunited where they could laugh and love freely again, where they could watch over their son together with clear eyes and open hearts, and where they could finally be at peace together. Nothing seemed more fitting to them than to first bear witness to the new generation of Paladins standing together, hands tight around each other’s as they smiled bright and wide, taking their first steps into the future side-by-side.</p>
<p>	“Come on. Let’s go home.”</p>
<p>	To a home that was finally safe. But, as the three Paladins fell back into their Lions with a groan, a silent question filled the space between them.</p>
<p>	How long until the comet showed up?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Form Voltron!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“It’s no use!” Called Shiro, swooping in to escort another battalion of ships to safety on Mars. “Something’s definitely interfering with our connection. Pidge, you’ve mind melded with them before, you can do it again!”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pidge was going to kill those idiots if they didn’t pick up their comms, oh like, NOW! A growl rippled through her throat as Green pulled away, back hunched and claws sharp, to stand between the fighter ships and the comet hurtling between her and Hunk at light speed. It was like the most indecisive grim reaper’s ping-pong ball to ever exist, and it was going to drive Pidge off the walls if it kept doing that for much longer.</p>
<p>	“ALLURA, KEITH, LANCE! COME IN!” Roared Pidge, unleashing a volley of vines at the comet as she body-slammed Ezor’s battleship away from its clawed strike. “THE COMET IS WREAKING HAVOC OVER HERE, WE NEED YOU NOW! <i>RIGHT! NOW!</i>”</p>
<p>	A strange fizzling pop echoed from their comms, and Pidge wondered if it would be possible to vaporize someone by glaring through a comm hard enough.</p>
<p>	“It’s no use!” Called Shiro, swooping in to escort another battalion of ships to safety on Mars. “Something’s definitely interfering with our connection. Pidge, you’ve mind melded with them before, you can do it again!”</p>
<p>	“I never did it before by wanting to rip their throats out!” Cried Pidge, nails biting into her palm. “I never meant to at all!”</p>
<p>	“But you succeeded,” replied Shiro gently as he guided another group away. “You can do it again, Pidge. Give yourself a little more credit.”</p>
<p>	Pidge had also strung Keith to the ceiling with her bayard for making one too many jabs at Lance’s work ethic during practice at the beginning of their time together (and for dropping her headphones), and she was honestly more inclined to replicate that right about now! They needed these guys! Pidge was not a fan of needing people, and even less so when they weren’t around to be needed!</p>
<p>	And yes, this was a battle strategy they had all agreed on, so she really shouldn’t be complaining, BUT THAT WASN’T EXACTLY STOPPING HER, NOW WAS IT?! Keith and Lance were supposed to take on Zarkon, Allura was supposed to handle Haggar, the rest of them were in charge of blitzing the fleet alongside Lotor, and they would all come together when the comet showed up. And that last part was kind of crucial.</p>
<p>	“<i>Come on, you guys, get over here!</i>” She cried out silently, hissing as the comet circled back in for another hit. “<i>Come on!</i>”</p>
<p>She braced her shoulders, tightening her grip on the controls, and her eyes lit up a blazing amber. “<i>There are people we need to save! We need Voltron! Please…!</i>”</p>
<p>The comet jerked across the sky, barreling through a Galra battleship, and Pidge dove between the shrapnel and a fleet of rebel fighters. Her skin flashed white-hot, her body moving before she could think about it, and she lashed her tail into the comet, sending it hurtling through another Galra battleship with a roar.</p>
<p>“Don’t you dare come near us, you piece of quiznakery!” She shouted, pouncing after the comet as wildfire licked through her veins, drowning out the shouts of her comrades.</p>
<p>She was sick of this, of watching the people she loved vanish, of being in the group of ones left behind. She was done watching grief consume the ones she loved, done praying that everyone would still come back home, done listening to the constant hum of the cryopods late at night. And she was sick of saying goodbyes like they were their last!</p>
<p>
  <i>I’m not going to lose anyone else.</i>
</p>
<p>Enough was enough.</p>
<p>
  <i>I can’t just wait for help to come.</i>
</p>
<p>Pidge pounced on the comet, grappling with it and clawing at its surface, sinking her teeth in and unleashing a laser straight into it. Hunk lashed his tail nervously, biting his lip as his sister wrestled with the thing that had sent her shooting up with nightmares ever since she made it back to them.</p>
<p>“Be careful, sis.”</p>
<p>	Pidge snarled, flinging the unfazed comet into a command ship as her eyes melded with Green’s in a flash of golden amber.</p>
<p>
  <i>I will not anyone else get hurt!</i>
</p>
<p>Pidge’s breath caught in her throat, and tears flooded her eyes as three familiar presences flooded her mind.</p>
<p>“<i>Pidge?! Thank god, we couldn’t get in touch with you at all!</i>” Cried Lance, and Pidge stifled a sob at the tight hug his astral arms pulled her into. “<i>Are you guys okay?! I’ve been freaking out ever since we beat Zarkon! We had our comms on the whole time, scout’s honor!</i>”</p>
<p>“<i>Were you a boy scout?</i>”</p>
<p>“<i>Yessir, I was an Eagle Scout by the end! Hunk still has photos, we were in the same group!</i>”</p>
<p>“<i>…I think scouts mean a different thing on Altea.</i>”</p>
<p>“<i>Eh, proba—</i>”</p>
<p>“The comet’s here!” Interrupted Pidge, whipping around Lotor’s retreat effort and pulling one of Lance’s soccer kicks on the <i>interdimensional space comet</i>, sending it flying as a thrill of pride ran through their bond, and she rolled her eyes. “Don’t get all smug about that kick, Lance! Look, Shiro and Lotor are evacuating everyone off the battlefield and Hunk is still standing guard, we need you all here <i>now!</i> I can’t keep it away from our guys for much longer!”</p>
<p>“<i>Then we shall be there immediately!</i>” Declared Allura. “<i>…So, about that strategy we discussed before…</i>”</p>
<p>Pidge groaned, flopping back in her chair with a <i>poomf</i>, and Allura giggled.</p>
<p>“I was really hoping you’d forgotten that.”</p>
<p>“<i>Not a chance of that, Pidgey</i>,” chirped Lance, a soft undercurrent washing over her like the first time she had ever been to a beach. “<i>‘Lura remembers everything.</i>”</p>
<p>Allura did a cosmic hair flip, and Pidge joined Keith in trying to roll their eyes out of their skulls.</p>
<p>“Okay, so there’s a shot at that,” Pidge admitted, running a hand down her face with a groan. “But I just can’t get a bond with Hunk. It doesn’t make sense! We’re really close, we’re completing each other’s sentences half the time, and finishing the other’s thoughts the second half.”</p>
<p>Pidge stared at the ceiling, a pout curving across her lips. “I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”</p>
<p>“<i>Pidge, do you remember why I said you were always the crux of the mind melds?</i>” Asked Allura gently, and Pidge could practically hear Lance and Keith cocking their heads.</p>
<p>“<i>Yeah, I’ve been curious about that for a while, actually,</i>” admitted Keith. “<i>I mean, we all have a soft spot for the short gremlin, but…</i>”</p>
<p>“I’m going to string you to the comet and punt you out of the galaxy soccer-style,” threatened Pidge, snatching the controls and whipping Green around as the stupid rock hurtled back towards the battlefield. “Oh boy, this thing just doesn’t know when to quit.”</p>
<p>“<i>Neither do you</i>,” teased Allura. “<i>That is why you’re the one who is always able to connect to the rest of us. From what you have said, these links are consistently formed by a mutual goal that is the sole, crucial focus of both paladins. It must be what that matters more than anything else in that moment. Pidge, you are very goal-driven and passionate, and you have so many objectives that you are quick to meld with us both on and off the battlefield. Hunk is your counter, he has very few goals that he is intensely driven on, though he gives his whole heart to those he has,</i>” she added as a seething rush stabbed through their bond, “<i>but, most of all, he does not lose sight of his surroundings. If he has a goal, he also has each of the steps to reach that, and those are designated as goals themselves. He is thorough and gentle, very supportive and strong in his own right, but not the type to throw away anything and everything to reach a certain height unless it is truly near and dear to his heart. It is both his greatest strength and greatest weakness. Just as your ability to do that for any goal is your greatest weakness and your greatest strength.</i>”</p>
<p>Pidge could hardly deny that last part, though she hadn’t heard a good half of what Allura said over the sound of her engines grinding out a breakneck pace to keep time with the comet. She swerved, cutting off its flight path, and Green let out a roar.</p>
<p>“<i>…Sooo, basically, Pidge gets super tunnel vision?</i>”</p>
<p>Pidge groaned, and Lance flashed some cosmic finger guns at her in response. “<i>Aww, come on, you know you love me.</i>”</p>
<p>Green flung a web of vines at the comet, but the stupid rock wove through it like a veteran fly, and darted off into the fray again. Pidge cursed. It wasn’t like the comet was actively targeting them. If anything, it was targeting the Galra, but it was producing more collateral damage than she could take.</p>
<p>“<i>Pidge, we have arrived!</i>” Cried Allura and, right on cue, a blast of lava lit up the darkness. “<i>We have eyes on the comet, but our communications are still out.</i>”</p>
<p>“What? Why?!” Replied Pidge, spinning Green around to charge towards the battle once more. “Are your Lions okay?!”</p>
<p>“<i>From what I know, both are fine,</i>” reassured Allura, the echoes of explosions ringing in Pidge’s ears like she was the one in the middle of the fray. “<i>I am guessing it is simply due to the large amount of quintessence the three of us have displaced in order to defeat Zarkon and Haggar. Remnants are likely still in the air around us, thus interfering with some of our controls,</i>” theorized Allura. “<i>Communications are always one of the first things to go down.</i>”</p>
<p>Lance let out a yelp, and Pidge arced into the battlefield just as the Black Lion spun past, Keith’s familiar hiss filling her ears.</p>
<p>“<i>Holy crow, that thing is fast!</i>” Cried Lance, and Pidge winced at the flare of pain in her right shoulder. “<i>Alright, Hermosa, let’s pick up the pace!</i>”</p>
<p>Pidge’s jaw hit the floor as Black began to glow, purple lightning ingrained into its surface, and wings unfurled almost defiantly. Their eyes were a smoldering yellow, and a staunch crown sat atop the Black Lion’s head that flashed in the moonlight as they raised their head to let out a battle roar.</p>
<p>“Dude,” she breathed. “Sweet upgrade! How’d you pull that off?!”</p>
<p>“………………………………………”</p>
<p>“……………………………………………………”</p>
<p>“…………………………………………………………………”</p>
<p>“……………You know what, you’re right, I don’t want to know.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hunk gave a yell, streaking between Earth and the comet for what felt like the thousandth time in the last ten dobashes this thing had been around, a cacophony of sparks erupting from their contact. He shoved his shoulder into the comet’s side, growling in the base of his throat and praying silently for backup. From Pidge’s seemingly steady one-way conversation floating over the comms, Hunk was guessing she got in touch with the others, although she had dropped deadly silent for some time now.</p>
<p>“Uh, hey, can anyone lend a hand over here?” He called, wincing as a sharp grinding sound ripped through Yellow’s body, and his Lion groaned under his touch. “We can’t hold out like this for much longer!”</p>
<p>Yeah, a comet dive-bombing Earth tended to make that rather difficult.</p>
<p>“<i>Be there in a tick, buddy!</i>” Replied Shiro, the comforting blue glow of his cabin popping up on Hunk’s screen. “<i>This is the last convoy, and Lotor’s rounded up his troops. They’ve agreed to let Voltron handle this one.</i>”</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s great, really great, but I need help!” Grunted Hunk, flinging his bayard into the glowing console and twisting to engage his rocket boosters. “Yellow’s getting hurt by this thing!”</p>
<p>A chill flooded through the comms, and Hunk blasted full power into the boosters as he rammed into the comet, catapulting it away from Earth with one fell swoop. Yellow was panting under him, and Hunk couldn’t do anything but reach into their astral link and run his fingers through the Lion’s mane.</p>
<p>“<i>Hey, everything’s going to be okay,</i>” he promised. “<i>Shiro will be here soon and, when the others get here too, we’ll knock that comet into smithereens.</i>”</p>
<p>Yellow rumbled under his touch, melting like his tina’s freshly baked biscuits in Hunk’s mouth after a long day at school. He couldn’t wait to be back with his moms again.</p>
<p>“<i>Hola, Hunketh! Coming in hot!</i>” Chirped a familiar voice that gave Hunk’s heart wings and blew a fresh wind of tears into his eyes.</p>
<p>“Lance!” He choked out as Black swooped in, nudging Yellow affectionately. “Keith! You guys are alright!”</p>
<p>“<i>Yeah, glad to see you’re all okay!</i>” Replied Keith, his face flickering in, and Hunk nearly choked at the beautiful crown carved into his friend’s helmet.</p>
<p>“<i>What, you actually thought Space Garfield was going to be able to take us out? Hunk, you wound me,</i>” teased Lance, his trademark grin bright as ever, and Allura let out a very harrumphing cough in the background. “<i>Okay, so maybe Allura had to save our lives, but Keith and I still beat Zarkon!</i>”</p>
<p>Hunk got the feeling there was a lot more to it than that and there was absolutely zero chance of him asking right now.</p>
<p>“That’s awesome, buddy!” He cheered, pumping his fists in the air and whooping. “I can’t believe it! We finally defeated the evil overlord kitty!”</p>
<p>
  <i>“And now we have a comet to deal with?”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Keith, sweetie, you’re ruining the mood.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“No, I mean, I thought we had a comet to deal with. Where’d it go?!”</i>
</p>
<p>Hunk frowned, pulling forward a little bit to peer into the dark expanse stretching out in front of them.</p>
<p>“That’s weird, usually it comes back by now,” he muttered. “Hey, where’d Pidge and Shiro go?”</p>
<p>“<i>I’m coming!</i>” Shrieked Pidge, clawing her way along Mars while trying not to squash anyone. “<i>The comet sent me flying a few dobashes ago, but I haven’t seen it since!</i>”</p>
<p>“<i>Right beside you, Hunk,</i>” called Shiro, lowering into position next to him with a wink. “<i>I dodged the fireball of death.</i>”</p>
<p>“<i>Okay, you know what, you perfectionist little snowball-head—</i>”</p>
<p>Keith burst into a flurry of laughter at that, his screen enlarging as Lance cackled off his seat.</p>
<p>“<i>Oh my god, I’m totally going to make him dye his hair white when we get back to Earth,</i>” he managed between laughter. “<i>I still haven’t cashed in that bet, after all!</i>”</p>
<p>Shiro let out a shoulder heaving sigh, and Pidge pulled up alongside them with a maniacal cackle.</p>
<p>
  <i>“Yesssssssss, you know you have to do it to ‘em!”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Grounded.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“But Daaaaaaaaaaaaaad!”</i>
</p>
<p>Hunk guffawed, doubling over laughing and nearly faceplanting onto the floor. Allura was clutching her stomach, and Shiro looked so very tired.</p>
<p>“<i>He really will be Space Abuelo for my kids then!</i>” Joked Lance, and Hunk froze.</p>
<p>Wait. No. Nonononononono! Pidge didn’t know yet! Lance had forgotten to tell her that Nadia and Sylvio were <i>his children holy quiznak his best friend was about to murder his other best friend—</i></p>
<p><i>“Oh my god, they call him that?! That’s god tier!”</i> Cheered Pidge. <i>“I’m going to give those two my old Bakugan Battle launchers when we get back!”</i></p>
<p><i>“Nadia’s going to love you forever,” </i>replied Lance, gasping and clutching his chest. <i>“She might love you more than me!”</i></p>
<p>
  <i>“Nah, no one can top her papi.”</i>
</p>
<p>Hunk’s eyes bugged out.</p>
<p>“Wait, you knew?!” He cried. “I thought Lance forgot to tell you!”</p>
<p>
  <i>“Huh? Ack! I forgot that I forgot to tell her!”</i>
</p>
<p>Hunk facepalmed, and Pidge dissolved into cackles as Lance blushed a searing red and, for just that tick, it was like they were all back at the Garrison together. They even had Keith twisting to gaze at Lance with the most lovestruck expression that ever could be.</p>
<p><i>“Pfffft, wasn’t it obvious? I mean, with how much he talked about them at the Garrison, he was pretty clearly more than an uncle to them,”</i> said Pidge with a shrug.<i> “I may not be good with feelings, but I know those two always made him happier than anyone else.”</i></p>
<p>“<i>Awwww, soft Pidge,</i>” cooed Lance, and Pidge reached across the astral plane to flick his forehead.</p>
<p>“<i>Shut it, McClain</i>.”</p>
<p>“Okay, but seriously,” chimed in Hunk, the hair on the back of his neck rising as the silence in front of them continued; the longer they couldn’t assess the situation, the longer they couldn’t figure out whether to form Voltron or not. “Where did the—OH QUIZNA—IFOUNDIT<i>RUN!</i>”</p>
<p>Hunk let out a screech, tearing out of the way as the comet charged, wings sprouting from its back and pure metal legs cracking out of the rock. A helmeted head tore free of the top, and two arms punched out, ripping away the remaining rocks caging it in and brandishing a sword that looked like it was made from the tormented souls of Haggar’s experiments. It might be. Pidge’s eyes blew wide, all breath dissolving in her lungs, and her hands went limp against the controls.</p>
<p>She could still feel that inky living tar pit crawling over her mind, snaking back to try and sever her connection with Green, to forge a bond with her that she didn’t want to have. She growled, low in her throat, the sensation of her igniting her shield to banish the demon from her mind still hot in her hand. She was not letting this thing touch her family.</p>
<p>Hunk snarled, pivoting in front of Pidge and letting out a roar that blew the comet back like a tornado. His eyes flashed a seething brown, like an earthquake about to tear down a city, shoulders rising to protect his family and jaws sucking in quintessence to unleash a barrage on the one that had hurt his sister so badly. And, a single thought fixed in his mind like a shining star, Hunk raised his head high and unleashed a stream of comets at the metal knight glaring death at them.</p>
<p>
  <i>I will not let this thing touch my family!</i>
</p>
<p>Hunk nearly shrieked as Pidge, Shiro, Keith, Lance, and Allura’s thoughts all crashed over him in a tidal wave, their quintessence nearly blinding him, and the soft glide of their hands on his shoulders. Their thoughts weren’t jumbled, they seemed to flow alongside one another’s, overlapping and drawing apart whenever they saw fit, like a thousand streams of lights drifting by to mix into an arching rainbow across the dark sky of the astral plane. Now, it was just up to him whether he joined in or not. And that was already a foregone conclusion.<br/>
Hunk opened rainbow flashing eyes, his family surrounding him, and the Lions tore across space towards the comet before Keith and Lance even let out their roar.</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <b>“FORM VOLTRON!”</b>
  </i>
</p>
<p>	It was unlike anything Hunk had ever felt before. Their armor lit up, rainbow auras swirling over them like mirages, and he felt himself sink not only into Yellow’s mind, but into everyone’s. Stars swirled around them, flashing trails of light streaming out from behind them as if slowly connecting each paladin to one another. Green was already merging into Pidge, her amber hair shortening and curving into something like a bob cut made for a guy, and teeth lengthening into fangs. Her eyes flashed with all the colors of their family behind her brother’s glasses, thick green metal gauntlets securing themselves around her wrists, and mini jetpacks spun like anklets around her boots. She shot a crooked grin at Hunk, raising a hand for a fist bump, and Hunk chuckled as their knuckles collided.</p>
<p>	“Let’s show ‘em what Team Punk is made of!” She cheered, and Hunk giggled as she dashed into her glowing green hexagon above him.</p>
<p>	Lance threw an arm around his shoulders, hip-checking Hunk as he passed and spinning to almost float down with that signature sunshine smile of his. His hair was chopped into an undercut, every color imaginable glowing in his eyes, and wings sprouting from his back as a crown blossomed up across his helmet. His teeth were already curved into fangs, but they did nothing to dampen the joy ringing through his laughter.</p>
<p>	“Let’s end this with a bang, buddy!”</p>
<p>	Keith placed a soft hand on his shoulder, a gentle smile on those lips that used to look so angry, and his hair curling down into a longer ponytail held taut by a red band. His eyes were a rainbow mosaic behind thick black glasses, glowing all the brighter against the white wings flapping from his back, and a crown rising up from his helmet to catch the light. His fangs were longer than the others, probably because of his Galran heritage, but he fluttered to Lance’s side and intertwined their hands fearlessly, glancing over his shoulder to give Hunk a reckless grin.</p>
<p>	“Let’s bring home the gold.”</p>
<p>	The two of them took their position at the head of Voltron, and Allura swept past with a tender smile. Her hair grew tighter, thicker in the style her mother had blessed her with, fangs glittering in the light, and a larger red chestplate seared across her armor. Launchers creased themselves into her gauntlets, and her eyes swirled with all the colors that had brought them to this point.</p>
<p>	“We can do this.”</p>
<p>	She squeezed his shoulder and dashed into her position to the right of Lance and Keith, raising her chin high until her circlet caught the light of the astral plane and nearly blinded Hunk. A heavy hand clapped him on the back, but Hunk didn’t even have to look to know it was Shiro. His hair had gone pure white, growing in thick atop his head now with just the fewest strands sweeping across his forehead, and the faintest traces of stubble on his chin stood out all the more in contrast to his fangs. His eyes were waterfalls of their family’s colors as blue shin guards clamped atop his armor, an extra visor sliding in place over his irises with data analysis flashing through it.</p>
<p>	“Come on, let’s clean this up and go on home.”</p>
<p>	Shiro stepped into his spot alongside Hunk and the vision shimmered like a mirage, flickering back and forth between the Shiro he knew now and the one he…might, hopefully, eventually know. The one who had smile lines creasing his cheeks as well as worry lines imprinted in his forehead. Hunk’s rainbow eyes flitted across his teammate’s, his breath stuttering as he saw the same effect for all of them, a little staggering between the time they would one day spend together and what had brought them to this moment.</p>
<p>	He wondered what he looked like.</p>
<p>	“<i>Quite dashing</i>,” promised Yellow as the Lion melded into Hunk, a flashing illusion of him fluttering before his eyes for just a tick. “<i>Shay would be most flustered</i>.”</p>
<p>	“Yellowwwwwwwwwwwww,” whined Hunk, but his Lion only chuckled as yellow armor curved across his back, steadying him further while a tool belt folded over his waist.</p>
<p>	His hair was almost identical, except his two bangs had been folded into one thin one that fluffed over his orange bandana, and just the barest shadow of a beard swept his chin. His eyes were a glowing rainbow, the colors dancing and blending together in his irises, and fangs slipped over his lips as the image fizzled.</p>
<p>	“<i>Time is relative in the astral plane,</i>” explained Yellow, purring contentedly within his chest. “<i>Especially when Black’s Princes are this powerful.</i>”</p>
<p>	“Wait, Princes?”</p>
<p>	But before Yellow could answer, Hunk felt a tug in his gut. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back in time with his team, and he felt their movements rush over him as natural as his own. It wasn’t just the Lions that were Voltron, after all.</p>
<p>	Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, Allura, Keith, and Lance were also their own Voltron.</p>
<p>	The comet drew back as the Lions fused, a blinding light tearing across the universe like a supernova, streams of color exploding out in waves and casting a shimmery glow over the cosmos. And, when Voltron emerged, they stood taller than ever. Their horns were curled like a ram’s, both sets of golden eyes lit up like galaxies were contained within, and wings spread wide across space as if they could hold all of this cosmos within their arms. The Green Lion was heavy, gauntlets shielding it in preparation for holding up the shield of Voltron, and the Artificer of Voltron smirked from within.  The Red Lion was light, shedding its armor to encompass the chestplate instead, and a rocket launcher ready to spring up at a tick’s notice from it as the Alchemist of Voltron raised her chin inside her Lion’s jaws. The Blue Lion’s shin guard was sturdy, protecting the analyzing devices hidden within that connected the smiling General of Voltron up to Green. The Yellow Lion would be almost completely stripped of armor, transferring it instead to the back, if it weren’t for the thick belt of interlocking gears clinking over the armor while the Castle of Voltron whooped from within. And, above them all, with four wings sprouting from their backs and their crowns fusing into a helmet to guard two pairs of golden searing eyes, the Princes of Voltron grinned together.</p>
<p>	And, for the first time in Voltron’s history, a heartbeat thundered through the robot in time with its paladins.</p>
<p>	“LET’S END THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!” Roared Keith and Lance, their voices merging into a Lion’s battle cry, and Hunk knew he wasn’t the only one who tilted his head back and bellowed in response.</p>
<p>	After all, his family always had his back. And, as they lunged towards the roaring comet knight, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that none of them were going to let him down now.</p>
<p>	They had a whole future to explore together, after all. And it all began with this first strike on the comet surrounded by a thick purple and black miasma, their blazing dual swords swirling with the roars of Pidge and Allura while Shiro and Hunk engaged their booster engines. Keith and Lance spread their wings, swooping down on the comet and, hearts pounding in unison, Voltron descended upon its final foe with a united battle cry.</p>
<p>	<i><b>“WE WILL NOT LET ANOTHER REIGN OF TERROR BEGIN! WE WILL STOP YOU HERE AND NOW!”</b></i></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. We Are Kitron!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>For, as the stars spun around the astral plane in a swirling dance of colors, a single figure reached throughout the Lions to stand tall within Voltron.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>An explosion of sparks shredded across the sky as Voltron’s sword crashed across the comet’s shield, a shrieking grind rattling through the very bones of the giant inside, and a whirlwind of fire consumed the two robots as a single roar echoed across the universe like a rainbow springing to life for the first time, or like six hearts combining into the one they were always meant to be.</p>
<p>	For, as the stars spun around the astral plane in a swirling dance of colors, a single figure reached throughout the Lions to stand tall within Voltron. Their eyes flashed with rainbows, a galaxy rippling throughout the visor of their helmet, and a black crown stood proudly on their helmet with a ruby, sapphire, and charoite shining atop the three spires towering up from the crown. Their paladin armor was tinted golden, but green veins ran throughout the entire suit while each color flickered across the joint guards like a mirage, and a sunset red cloak swept into pink across their back. Blue ripples of energy swirled at each joint, catching the light of the sparkles dotting the cape, and a sunshine battle grin tore across their lips.</p>
<p>	“So, uh, what am I? now” They asked, all six voices compressed together, and the suit of Voltron fitting over them like a second layer of armor. “Um, am I an I or a we? Am I Voltron? Nortlov? Alfor? Starkid? Kyle Jenner? Dios mios, no! Disowned, blocked, unfriended!”</p>
<p>	A snicker ran through their nose, and a grin quirked up their lips. “Uhh, Gaynbow Paladin? Rainbow? Din? DinDin? Seriously, that’s the best you could come up with? DinDin?”<br/>	They shrugged, and a snort passed up through their throat as they raised their flaming sword and spread their wings to prepare for another barrage. “Paladin? Could you be any more on the nose? Dude, seriously, I say Vol and <i>you say Tron</i>, it’s not that hard!”</p>
<p>Black purred softly, nuzzling them, and they let out a giggle. “Kitron? Noooooo, Blaaaaaaaaack. Oh, alright, we’ve got better things to deal with than finding a truly fabulous name for ourself, I <i>guess</i>,” they teased haughtily, booster rockets flaring and a shoulder cannon springing to life on command. “For now, Kitron works just fine.”</p>
<p>	Kitron’s bayard burst apart into the six bayards each of their separate forms governed, and they flung each one into their compartments with a flick of their wrist. Reaching out, they could feel each arm within extend to grasp their bayard within the astral plane, fingers tight and eyes unwavering. After all, the distance between the paladins was over. They weren’t just friends or teammates or paladins or even family anymore. Kitron was everything that made them up; they were Hunk’s stability, Shiro’s consideration, Pidge’s drive, Allura’s faith, Keith’s iron will, Lance’s passion, they were everything the paladins had ever believed in, had ever fought for, had ever wanted, and everything they had ever loved. They were the unconditional trust the team had in one another, the determination they all shared to end this war and, most of all, the love they held for each other.</p>
<p>	Kitron was just as unbreakable as the bond that had brought them together.</p>
<p>	They punched forward as the comet whipped toward them, engaging all of the bayards at once, and a smile flickered over their lips. The first time they had done this, so long ago, all that had appeared was a scimitar the size of a Galran battleship. The second time, they had phased through a battleship. Both times, it had given them exactly what they had needed, neither of them things that would have helped in the other situation. Who knew what would appear this time, when they were so much more than that raggedy team of misfits just wanting to survive or the family that still hid in their own rooms to cry?</p>
<p>	This time, they were all just one heartbeat thundering through their own Voltron.</p>
<p>	The comet threw back its head, letting out an earsplitting shriek, and a shudder ran right through the veins of Kitron even as their booster rockets boomed to life and their shield raised high. Fire crackled beneath the lightning storm dancing in their eyes, and the sun-shaped halberd that fell into their hand lit up with a rainbow of pure quintessence.</p>
<p>	“You will never touch my family again!” Bellowed Kitron, their shoulder cannon firing off smaller comets in rapid succession. “On my tina’s pies, I will protect them this time!”</p>
<p>	The comet spun its sword over its head like a discus, slashing apart the rocks thrown at it, and let out another screech as it flung itself directly at Voltron. Green flared across Kitron’s joint guards, a bellow shook Voltron, and they skyrocketed away from the attack with a single supersonic beat of their wings. The comet pivoted with a snarling flash from their golden eyes, and black consumed Kitron’s armor as a growl licked through their throat.</p>
<p>	“This will be your grave!”</p>
<p>	Their golden halberd, with two massive blades exploding out of the top and front side of the sun connecting it to the rod that lay perfectly balanced in their palm, spun across the speckled sky, smashing against the comet’s guard. Lightning designs crackled from the rod, purple flickering snakes springing to life and lunging into the comet to stun the knight into submission as vines swirled up the hilt, trapping their enemy while flames burst out from the metallic sun’s rays and blasted over the comet’s head in a tidal wave. Kitron snarled, an eruption of quintessent lightning ripping through the knight as each gem atop their crown glowed, and their cape swirled into a tornado about to burst free.</p>
<p>	The comet spun, delivering a searing side kick to the unarmored side of Voltron and sending them reeling. It dove forward, smashing an uppercut into their jaw and throwing their head back just in time for the comet’s hook punch to crack against their cheek. Kitron staggered, and the comet raised its hand, draining black swirling quintessence into a crackling whirlpool around its arm.</p>
<p>	“Come on, buddy!” Roared Kitron, booster jets engaging and wings billowing outwards almost like sails as Voltron pounced, teleporting behind the comet and swinging their halberd around to stab the snarling knight. “Let’s see what you’ve got!”</p>
<p>	The comet spun, throwing the whirlpool of lightning directly into the attack, and two flowers flared white on Kitron’s cheeks as their grip tightened on the halberd. They let out a battle cry, slashing the halberd through the vortex of lightning as their blade exploded like a volcano. Light and lava flooded the lightning, sending tendrils of the white-hot electricity spitting across space, flickering like the wispy hands of death reaching out for Voltron only to be cut down by Kitron’s onslaught. They slashed away at the whirlpool, fire burning away and redirecting the lightning, and light rippling across the abyss of space in waves.</p>
<p>	The comet materialized behind them and body-slammed Voltron directly into the vortex just as the final strike of lightning erupted from the whirlpool. Electricity coursed through Kitron, purple sparking through their veins and ripping at the seams of their armor as they threw back their head with a bellow of agony. It seared into their bloodstream, eating away at them from the inside out and frying every nerve until their screams overpowered even Voltron’s roars of pain. Blood seeped from the edges of their eyes and splattered their controls as their wail flung the red tears of their mortality into the cockpit. Their entire body convulsed, the Lions let out a collective howl that pierced the sky, and the comet drew back its sword for barrage.</p>
<p>	“Don’t…<i>Don’t you dare touch her!</i>” Shrieked Kitron, every atom in their body erupting into lava as they flipped their halberd and dove, knocking the knight’s sword out of his grasp and headbutting the comet with a roar. “This universe isn’t yours to wreak havoc on whenever you feel like it! And, so help me Altea, if you so much as think of touching our little sister again, we will bring the full wrath of the most powerful family in the universe down on your head!” Kitron growled, slamming the handle into the comet’s stomach and shooting above to bring the blade of the halberd down directly onto the knight’s helmet, shattering the stone like it was nothing more than glass. “She may not be our flesh and blood, but make no mistake, she is our pack! And you do not want to mess with a pride of lions.”</p>
<p>	The comet twisted its disfigured face to howl at them, the shredded shards of its helmet falling away to reveal black quintessence pumping through the cracks sewn throughout the knight. Kitron snarled, their words from so long ago springing to the tip of their tongue as they raised a gauntlet flashing with black and green symbols. <i>The comet is kind of just this slimy, terrified ball of vengeance. When it breaks out, it’s going to be the nastiest quiznaker we’ve ever fought.</i></p>
<p>	Teeth gritted and lightning flickering in their eyes, Kitron smashed their gauntlets together, and four giant discs sprang free to orbit around Voltron like planets around the sun. Black carvings dug themselves into the green discs, rainbows flickering through the lines flashing with a light so bright that even the comet froze. And, for just a tick, a flare of white laced through its eyes like the dying embers of a once blazing fire.</p>
<p>	Kitron let out a roar, each disc erupting in light as a shield slammed into position between them and the comet. It slid over one of their arms while the other hand twirled their halberd, rainbows dancing in their eyes and the galaxy in their visor bursting at the seams. The comet let out a howl, clawing at its sword as Kitron’s wings billowed out behind them. A shield for those they fought to protect.</p>
<p>	After all, even in this merged state, they could still feel the hands of their families on their back. From Coran’s apricot eyes turned towards the sky from Mars, hands tight in his pockets, to Lotor’s silent prayers as he waited with his generals for Acxa to come out of the healing pod, to Matt and Adam’s hurried whispers with Shay between emergency treatments of their comrades, to every one of their parents, siblings, and kids back on Earth who were huddled close together with the same wishes on their tongues and question cascading through their hearts.</p>
<p>
  <i>Who would come back alive when all this was over?</i>
</p>
<p>	It was the one question Kitron couldn’t afford to ask themself.</p>
<p>	“Come at me!” They roared, diving towards the comet with stardust streaming from their back and a rainbow made of all their flashing in their eyes. “I won’t let you touch my planet. No one will ever threaten this universe again as long as I am alive and, believe me, you haven’t seen the best of Voltron yet!”</p>
<p>	The Lions roared, eyes flashing a searing gold, and their presence burned behind Kitron as they drew up their guard and braced for impact. “Your time here is up!”</p>
<p>	The comet screeched, thrusting its sword at Voltron’s head and wheeling to the side to avoid the attack as lightning charged in its hand. Kitron ducked beneath the strike with a hiss, the tip of the sword smashing through their visor and raking across their temple in a spray of blood, and let out a battle cry as their grip latched onto the comet’s wrist. Lightning tore through their body, ripping apart their nerves from the inside out, and set their eyes ablaze as their teeth snapped together and fingers went taut around the halberd.</p>
<p>	“This is my universe! And I will protect it, <i>no matter the cost!</i>” Bellowed Kitron, yanking the comet close and smashing the rod of the halberd across its head.</p>
<p>	Booster rockets flared, and they drove their knee into the knight’s core, twisting to knock the comet back with their shield. They raised their halberd high, right under the glittering red and blue stars that had guided them to their Lions in the first place, and time stood still for a precious tick as quintessence swirled around the tip. Black flickers of light snaked toward the beacon of hope, red light flaring across the sky, blue tendrils swimming towards Voltron, pink light streaming into the vortex of pure quintessence, green bursts of energy darted towards the source, and gold quintessence was drawn into the whirlpool of light fighting for the existence of their universe. Purple wisps darted through it, orange puffs of light flying into the eye of the storm to join the battle, brown energy pinwheeling through the attack, and Kitron raised their head as tears swelled in their irises. A thousand hands reached out, grasping their outstretched hand tightly, the smiles of all those they had helped returning to help them save their universe.</p>
<p>	After all, it wasn’t just the paladins’ dreams that made up Kitron.</p>
<p>	The comet howled, bracing its sword against its arms as lightning flooded the blade. White electricity crackled across the sword, ethereal light tearing apart space and time just to ripple around the knight’s weapon, and the faint echo of a lion’s roar snapped a sneer to the comet’s face. Stars screeched around the comet as it sucked their light into the whirlwind, the knight’s breastplate flashed pitch-black, and Kitron’s markings pulsed against their cheeks. Electricity exploded from the sword’s tip, carving a scimitar into the sky, and the comet’s tormented lips curled up into a smirk. Kitron drew back their halberd, the light of the universe rippling out from its tip, and locked eyes with their enemy for the first time as they each pointed blades at one another for the final charge. Everything they had, everything they would ever make themselves into, every tiny speck of quintessence they possessed, they all poured into this one, final attack. The one that would decide who survived and who died.</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <b>“That’s what makes us Voltron, and this is what makes me Kitron!”</b>
  </i>
</p>
<p>The comet screeched, black lightning exploding out from its chest, and Voltron’s wings exploded with rainbow light as Kitron hurtled down towards their enemy, a cosmic roar thundering from within them as their halberd crashed into the knight’s sword. Black lightning exploded against the prism of colors, flashes of quintessence tearing across the sky until it burned away their surroundings, transforming their world into nothing more than pure white light around the two superpowers. Nothing but the fate of the universe hanging in the balance between the two greatest powers of the universe. It hung between a team of six teenagers and one tortured comet destroyed by corrupted quintessence.</p>
<p>Kitron stared at the knight across from them, their halberd nicking the comet’s chestplate, and their words of a few quintants ago sliding into place as the knight’s eyes flashed white and it let out a bellowing snarl.</p>
<p>
  <i>“So, basically, if the comet tried to reach out to Pidge, it has to have some kind of consciousness,” summarized Lance, eyes darting to Allura to catch the reassuring tilt in her lips before continuing to address Lotor, “and was trying to forge the same connection with her that we have with our Lions. It’s not just some space rock, it’s a living creature that Haggar experimented on and tortured into hatred and violence.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Yes, I understand that,” admitted Lotor with a grimace. “But, I’m afraid, I don’t exactly see much chance of recourse in that. The comet has seemed to lose its mind to the corruption even more than my father did.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“It’s a being made of far more concentrated quintessence than you or I,” replied Allura. “It is more susceptible to corruption, but the reverse of that is also inherently true. It must also be easier to purify.”</i>
</p>
<p>	Kitron snarled, smashing the comet’s sword aside with their shield and sending the knight reeling as they raised their halberd.</p>
<p>	<i>“Princess, not to disrespect your abilities, but the level of quintessence needed for purifying that much evil…”</i></p>
<p>
  <i>	Lotor trailed off, forehead creased and lip caught between his teeth. “It is more than any one being possesses. Might I instead propose that you reverse the energy flow? Quintessence cannot be destroyed, but the darkness that corrupts these beings is only one side of a very large spectrum. To flip that…it might not be impossible if it is the six of you. Voltron is known for the impossible, after all.”</i>
</p>
<p>	Kitron caught the comet’s shoulder and, just for a tick, a memory flowed between the two entities. One of two paladins, a soft hand on the other’s shoulder, and an even softer <i>hey man</i> hanging in the air, like a bridge between two worlds. Like a chance.</p>
<p>	Like change.</p>
<p>	<i>“Yes, we do specialize in that, don’t we?”</i></p>
<p>	“It’ll all be over in a tick.”</p>
<p>	And, with that, Kitron drove their halberd through the comet’s chest.</p>
<p>Rainbow lightning exploded from the tip, skewering the black crystal lodged in the knight’s center, and the full force of the attack that the comet had amassed detonated in Voltron’s face. Kitron screamed, the quintessence tearing into the bonds that made them up, ripping into each fiber that had brought them together, and the Lions cried out as their energy and life force was shredded. Kitron’s helmet exploded, shards smashing into the cockpit and blood tearing at the seams of their armor as they choked on blood and lightning. They couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t comprehend anything but the darkness creeping towards the beating heart that was the only thing holding Voltron together.</p>
<p>The only thing standing between this agony and their family.</p>
<p>Kitron bellowed, a windstorm of pure magma erupting through their body as they flung their shoulder forwards, the joints shattering and black lightning consuming the cockpit as their halberd tore out the other side of the knight, ripping out the core that Haggar had dyed black with poison. It glittered in the light of the stars around it, already bursting at the seams of its cage, a howling bundle of lightning crashing against the walls keeping it in, an endless stream of <i>destroy it all, burn it down, reduce it to rubble, blow it up destroy it don’t let anything remain they know nothing but cruelty so repay themdestroythemburnitalldownreduceittorubbledestroydestroydestroydestroyitalldestroyeverythingthathaseverhurtus<b>destroyitall!</b></i></p>
<p>Kitron bit back the blood streaming down their chin, cradling the knight’s head to their shoulder, and a final glint of light ruptured in their eyes as the black lightning dissolved them from the inside out.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry,” they rasped, holding the comet close as it began to dissolve into a faint white light inlaid with a silvery glow belonging to Oriande, “I’ve got you.”</p>
<p>The last of their quintessence fizzled out on the spear, and the corruption let out a gleeful howl as Kitron’s eyes fluttered closed, a final red tear sliding down their cheek. Finally. It was free. It had <i>won.</i></p>
<p>The universe belonged to it.</p>
<p>
  <i>Let’s go home.</i>
</p>
<p>	Voltron exploded, the Lions hurtling away from one another with open cockpits as the paladins tore into outer space, blood streaming from their eyes and battle cries on their lips as the quintessence that had bound them together broke free. Pidge roared, jet pack blasting her into the corrupted core, and Hunk let out a booming scream as he spun into the black center. Allura descended on it like a falcon, and Shiro tackled it, their screams piercing the sky itself. Keith and Lance smiled at one another as they laid their hands on the corrupted gem, the final shattered atoms of their quintessence pulsing in unison with the heartbeat they all now shared.</p>
<p>Because, separate or not, they were still Kitron.</p>
<p>	“We’re going home!” Roared Kitron and, as one, the paladins fired the last of their quintessence, the life force holding their hearts together, into the core.</p>
<p>	Fire tore away the outer shell, dissolving it into thin air while water doused the black mist the core tried to expel into their world. Stones clawed away the inner layer, shredding it into pieces, and vines sprang up from the ruins to lock the corruption in place. And, as the final rainbow lightning strike shattered the core within, a White Lion broke free from the comet with an echoing roar, and the six paladins that had saved not only it, but the entire universe, latched hands for what might be the last time.</p>
<p>	“I love you.”</p>
<p>	The core exploded, shrapnel tearing towards Kitron, and the paladins held tight to one another as the black lightning turned a misty white. If they went down, they went down together. If they died, it would be as Kitron.</p>
<p>	And, smiles unbreakable across their lips, the family who had changed the face of the universe, stood proud.</p>
<p>For, as long as Earth survived, they had gotten their happily ever after. And, for the six of them, a happy ending to this crazy adventure was all they wanted. So, as pure white exploded across their vision, only a final truth was left behind with the heartbeats of the greatest heroes the universe had ever known.</p>
<p>“It’s been an honor flying with you all.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Epilogue: Five Years Into Forever</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Hey, at least we’re not the ones getting married,” shot back Pidge, punching his arm with a grin as she stepped back to let the twins tackle Shiro. “Keith and Lance are still handling that rogue Olkari drone, they literally sent us here to stall.”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Shiro! Hey, over here!” Crowed Pidge, dashing across the open pavilion with Hunk, Nadia, and Sylvio barely a step behind her billowing lab coat. “We’re back! Told you we’d make it on time”</p>
<p>	Shiro grinned, one arm still around Adam’s shoulder, and he held the other open for his space kids to barrel into, their laughter washing over him like the waves of a fireplace after a day of shoveling the yard.</p>
<p>	“Hi, you guys!” He managed to get out between laughs as Nadia and Sylvio whined about not getting enough of their space abuelo to cuddle! “How are you all doing? Still cutting it close, I see.”</p>
<p>	“Hey, at least we’re not the ones getting married,” shot back Pidge, punching his arm with a grin as she stepped back to let the twins tackle Shiro. “Keith and Lance are still handling that rogue Olkari drone, they literally sent us here to stall.”</p>
<p>	“They would,” groaned Adam, raising his eyes to the heavens as he caught his space kids in a tight hug. “I warned them to take the day off, but does anyone listen to Adam? Noooooooo.”</p>
<p>	Allura cackled as she swept over, her hand intertwined with Acxa’s and a fresh kiss on her glowing Altean marks.</p>
<p>	“Dare I even ask if our brothers are getting ready?” She teased, hip-checking Hunk and running through Pidge’s complicated handshake without blinking. “Or do I need to ask Red to drag her two old paladins down by the ear?”</p>
<p>	“Nah, Hunk and I are master stallers,” replied Pidge with a puff of her chest. “Plus, the great and mighty Queen of the Voltron Alliance need not trouble herself with such peasantry matters.”</p>
<p>	Allura snorted, ruffling Pidge’s unruly boyish bob cut as the smaller girl screeched in protest.</p>
<p>	“Oh please, you just don’t want me to start teasing you about your new boyfriend Bandor~”</p>
<p>	“Hey, shut up!”</p>
<p>	Shiro chuckled, leaning into Adam’s side as the excited chatter of his family surrounded him once more. He had missed them. Sure, retiring from space life had its perks (namely, no more 3 am singing from whatever room had been infected with Lanceitis that night), but Shiro knew that he couldn’t stay away from it much longer.</p>
<p>	After Voltron had destroyed the core that had been infecting the comet, it was apparently finally able to assume its true form: the mate of the White Lion. It had been tearing through realities to get back to its partner when the Galra had captured it, and had hidden away the bulk of its powers in an attempt to keep Haggar from infecting it. But, when Kitron’s quintessence reverted the corruption back to its pure state, White had been able to absorb the paladins and shield them from the subsequent explosion. Although getting it to let them go, according to Lotor, Coran, and Adam, had been…an experience.</p>
<p>	Shiro laughed as Matt waved them over, his arm snugly linked with Nyma’s, and Lotor’s generals gathered in a bubbling circle around the two. Curtis and Kuron were smiling tenderly at one another, matching rings glinting around their fingers, and Narti’s arm was snug around Queen Romelle’s waist. To say that a few things had changed after the war ended would be the understatement of the year.</p>
<p>	“Nooooo, Allura, no politics during your brother’s wedding!” Protested Hunk as Allura pulled Romelle aside, hushed words passing between the Alteans, probably about the latest trade deal.</p>
<p>	“They’re not here yet, shush,” replied Allura with a teasing wave of her hand. “Sweetie, you mind taking it from here?”</p>
<p>	“Not a problem, love,” replied Acxa, dropping a kiss on Allura’s cheek and sweeping past to high-five Narti, sliding into a light conversation with the Queens of New Altea.</p>
<p>	With the threat of Zarkon and Honerva gone, the Altean colony was able to come out of the quantum abyss and take up its predecessor's role in politics. And, although Lotor had nominated Allura to become its Queen, she had stepped aside for Romelle’s reign. For the one who had left behind her home and loved ones to find out about the outside world, who had entered a war zone to earn her people’s freedom, who had grown up alongside the people she would govern. After all, <i>being the Queen of Altea was my dream as a child, not that of New Altea. The universe has moved forward since then, and I need to as well. After all, an Alliance this big will need a few Queens at the helm, don’t you think?</i></p>
<p>	“Abuelo, we’re almost done packing,” squealed Nadia, a huge grin pushing her freckles across her cheeks like stars shooting across the sky as she pulled back to look up at her space grandpa. “Are you almost finished? You’re still going to be learning with us about the Nebula Palace, right?”</p>
<p>	“Yeah, don’t back out now,” whined Sylvio, sticking out his lower lip and making those chocolate eyes the size of moons. “Our papis' have been looking forward to you coming back!”</p>
<p>	Shiro chuckled, ruffling their hair.</p>
<p>	“Don’t worry, you two. A five year break is a five year break, and even I get rusty, you know? Plus, I’ve only ever visited the Nebula Palace. I seriously don’t know how they fly that thing without Coran!”</p>
<p>	Nadia and Sylvio’s eyes lit up like twin suns, and Shiro’s cheeks started aching at the idea of being back around a team full of these smiles. Adam chuckled beside him, gesturing across the square as a familiar hum followed by a symphony of shrieking began to fill the air.</p>
<p>	“Ask him after the ceremony then, if you can pry him away from the kids.”</p>
<p>	The Castle of Lions descended, thumping into position at one edge of the pavilion, a thousand tiny hands waving from the windows as countless shoes pounded towards the doors.</p>
<p>	“Evasive maneuvers!” Squealed Nadia, grabbing Sylvio’s wrist and tearing away, laughter whipping out in a trail of sparkling lights behind her as she dashed away from the incoming swarm of children.</p>
<p>	Sylvio just grinned, keeping pace with his sister and catching Leo’s hand with a fresh peal of giggles as they streaked across the lawn, making a point of plowing through the paparazzi advancing towards Emperor Lotor and Empress Merla’s ship as it descended. Adam laughed, waving them off in their matching suits, and squeezed Shiro’s hand close to his heart.</p>
<p>	“They’re so ready to go be gay and torment the garrison.”</p>
<p>	“Five gac that Leo’s going to ask Sylvio out before the wedding’s over.”</p>
<p>	“Ten gac. He’ll ask him out right before you guys board the Nebula Palace.”</p>
<p>	“Deal.”</p>
<p>	Shiro cackled, shaking his head as Coran opened the doors to the Castle of Lions, an ocean of alien children spilling free with shrieking adoration and way too many funny dresses. The old advisor was sporting a traditional Altean suit and a soft smile as he lifted a small girl onto his shoulders and led out a row of younger duckling aliens into the crowd. The Castle of Lions had become firmly planted on New Altea but, since they already had a royal palace, Coran had been the first to suggest that it be turned into an orphanage. With the war finally over, there were more orphans than anyone could count, and who better to look after them than Voltron’s favorite space uncle?</p>
<p>	“Top of the afternoon to you!” Cheered Coran, scurrying over to the two men with at least four kids clinging to his legs, two hanging off his back, one on his shoulders, and one miraculously pirouetting atop his head. “How are you two faring? It feels like it’s been decaphoebs since we last caught up, how has the married life treated you?”</p>
<p>	“It’s treated me to candlelit pizza dinners, showers at midnight, and a new garden with extra bees,” teased Adam, kissing Shiro’s cheek shamelessly. “So, perfectly.”</p>
<p>	Shiro dissolved.</p>
<p>	Coran chuckled as the oldest of their paladins buried his face into his husband’s shoulder with a blushing whine, amber eyes softening as fresh laugh lines carved themselves into Shiro’s cheeks. It was like watching one of his kids reach out to him for the first time, letting Coran hold them close and wash away even just a little bit of their shadows, letting love slip into the cracks in their life and fill them in with gold. After all, he was the one standing beside Shiro as they launched the newly built Nebula Palace into space with their family inside, he and Adam were the only ones who had seen the silent tears on Shiro’s cheeks. Just because his choice was right didn’t mean it was easy.</p>
<p>	“Coran!” Cried Allura, smile blinding as she dashed into his embrace, circlet catching the light and Altean gown shimmering next to his suit. “I have missed you so much!”</p>
<p>	“I have missed you too, Allura,” he murmured, holding her close. “But you have been doing most excellently! Both the Queen of the Voltron Alliance and part of the best Exploration Team in the universe? Your parents would be proud.”</p>
<p>	Allura pulled back, eyes gleaming in time with the ring on her finger that matched her wife’s, the only remains of her parents that had been salvaged after the destruction of her homeworld.</p>
<p>	“Thank you, Coran. And they would be proud of you too.”</p>
<p>	The paladins hadn’t been able to stay still for long and, barely six phoebs after the defeat of the comet and restoration of peace, Keith and Lance had come forward with a preposition. <i>Pre-emptive peace, that needs to be our next goal. We may have finally gotten unity in our known universe, but there’s always more out there. Instead of staying in the unknown, let’s spread out and make peace with threats before they can hurt us. Voltron’s job is to bring peace, after all, so let’s make it a lasting peace.</i></p>
<p>	Pidge’s full-blown cackle echoed over to the adults, and Coran threw back his head with a laugh as he saw their youngest paladin picking up her boyfriend by the waist and spinning him around in a circle of screeches. Bandor had been the only person who was not originally in the Voltron family to join the paladins in their exploration throughout the universe; he was just as curious as his sister if not more, and his technological babble aligned with their Green Paladin’s like two hearts beating in unison. They tended to wake up early for pancake dates, according to Allura and Lance.</p>
<p>	Hunk just shook his head with a smile, one arm tight around his fiance. Shay had joined Matt, Krolia, and Azve in transforming the Blade of Marmora into a humanitarian organization after the war ended, though she had quickly discarded their dark armor in favor of her planet’s bright colors and loose traditional outfits. A crown of flowers nestled gently atop her head as she snuggled into Hunk’s embrace, a quiet song vibrating through her smile and one hand tight in his. She had become one of the top “Blade operatives” (a title she was still fighting to change because <i>seriously?</i>) and was almost as busy as Hunk recently. But that never stopped them from coming home to one another at the end of the quintant.</p>
<p>	After all, although the paladins’ home was up on the Nebula Palace in space, they had families throughout the universe. And, somewhere along the way, their job as the “top Exploration Team in the universe” had become almost like a 9-5 job. Pidge and Coran had picked Lotor and Romelle’s brains on the wormholes they had used to move the Alteans through the Quantum Abyss and, by the time the Nebula Palace was given the green light by Sam Holt, they had transformed the Lions’ Hangar in the Castle of Lions into a wormhole station. Portals connected directly into it not only from the bay of the Nebula Palace, but also from Earth, the Balmera, Olkari, and anywhere else that had agreed to serve as an escape route for the Paladins of Voltron.</p>
<p>	Plus, with the mate of the White Lion blessing Coran, Lotor, and Adam for fighting to get the Paladins back, the nine of them were able to connect telepathically to one another at will. So, if quintessence corruption was spreading towards the Puigians or if Sylvio was feeling sick and needed to go home for the day, Coran or Shiro could summon back any of the paladins. Lance and Keith used the wormholes most often, vanishing back to Earth as soon as the kids’ school let out to bring them home. And, although they always left someone on night shift, it was an unspoken rule that Keith and Lance were left out of that exchange, especially with Pidge and Bandor’s dislike for leaving the ship at night. The Nebula Palace ran on the quintessent link it shared with the two White Lions, and she wasn’t fond of leaving the safety of their home up to such a “fickle mechanism.” Allura and Hunk were both comfortable filling in on night shift duty, though they loved nothing else than going home to their loved one’s embrace, and often brought them back to the Nebula Palace to spend the night. But, now that Nadia and Sylvio were joining them (for a “training internship”) and with recent positive pregnancy tests for both Allura and Acxa, Keith and Lance had paid the last rent on their apartment and remodeled their room on the Nebula Palace.</p>
<p>	Finally, Hunk could just lean against Shay and breath easy. Everything was falling into place.</p>
<p>	“Pidge, put your boyfriend down before he throws up,” teased Shiro, sauntering over with an arm around Adam, and Hunk couldn’t help the faintest smirk that touched his lips.</p>
<p>	Everyone looked exactly like the Lions had predicted the last time they had needed to form Voltron in a battle, a full five decaphoebs ago. Although the paladins had formed Kitron multiple times since then, it had been purely for hand-to-hand battles or when they just wanted the warmth and comfort that came with that connection, they had yet to need Voltron in a true battle. The bonds they shared with their Lions was more than enough to handle the threats they faced nowadays.</p>
<p>	“No, I can see really far up here,” cried Bandor, snapping pictures as Pidge hauled him up higher, and Shiro just laughed with a faint shake of his head. “Adam, your arrangements of the flowers are truly exceptional!”</p>
<p>	“I could not agree more,” said Allura, adjusting Pidge’s bow tie as her little sister spun Bandor around. “Are you absolutely sure you will not be joining us aboard the Nebula Palace? We have a most elaborate garden now due to Lan’s efforts.”</p>
<p>	Adam chuckled, adjusting his glasses and smiling tenderly as Shiro’s shoulders sagged.</p>
<p>	“I would love to, truly. But I just got a call a few vargas ago about that job interview, and it looks like I’m going to be taking over Sanda’s position in the Garrison.”</p>
<p>	Shiro sighed, but Adam just leaned over and pecked his cheek tenderly. “This time, I can keep an eye on you all for sure. I’m not going to let anyone go missing like that again.”</p>
<p>	“I’m not going anywhere,” promised Shiro, pulling Adam’s clasped hand in his up to his lips and bestowing a sweet kiss upon the ring glowing there. “And I’ll always come home, promise.”</p>
<p>	Allura smiled, and Pidge set Bandor down with a shared grin as Shay waved Krolia over and Lotor managed to escape the paparazzi with his new wife in tow. Ezor and Zethrid’s death glares might have had something to do with it, the twins’ giggles echoing near the generals as they snuck Leo over to the snack table.</p>
<p>	“Ah, Shiro, it’s nice to see you again,” called Krolia, pressing her forehead to his in their usual greeting before knocking her forehead against Adam’s as hard as they both could. “As annoying as ever, Wazir.”</p>
<p>	“You’re one to talk with that titanium forehead!” Shot back Adam. “Careful or I’ll spray paint your ship, and I promise you my sense of colors hasn’t changed much in a few decaphoebs!”</p>
<p>	“<i>How</i> did my future son-in-law end up with such a good sense of fashion with you as his role model?”</p>
<p>	Adam just held up a neon green flower clip in response, and Krolia hissed at it. “Back, demon.”</p>
<p>	Shiro rolled his eyes as the two of them went at it again, and Pidge bounced over to Hunk to run some code by him. Shay chuckled, swishing over to stand beside him, the twins practically materializing in her arms as soon as they spotted her.</p>
<p>	“Are you going to be okay?” She asked carefully. “From what Hunk has told me, I understand this day could be very…emotional for you and Keith.”</p>
<p>	Shiro held up his white handkerchief in response.</p>
<p>	“Yeah…he asked me to walk him down the aisle. I’m not even going to make it there without crying.”</p>
<p>	But it wasn’t just Keith that he knew would send him bawling. Although seeing that tiny twelve-year-old with flames sputtering in his eyes and coals searing on his tongue grow up into a protective, gentle, resourceful and brave man had already brought him to tears multiple times, Shiro also knew that seeing Lance like that was going to make him sob. Because all that cocky flirtatiousness, all the facade he maintained to keep the world away from the pain he hid so flawlessly behind a blinding smile and a few finger guns, Lance didn’t wear it like a stiff jacket over his velvet heart anymore. And seeing him let down his walls to hold Keith’s heart close to his own, to stand beside his family honestly, it made him more proud than he had words for. As for how Adam was going to survive……Shiro mourned for that poor excuse for a handkerchief he had.</p>
<p>	“Abuelo Shiro!” Screeched Nadia, scampering over with her long ponytail swimming behind her like a koi dancing through water, pointing at the sky as a familiar smile curved over her lips. “Look! Papi and Papi Dos are back!”</p>
<p>	Shiro threw back his head, a grin already curving up into his eyes, and heart swelling into his throat as the Black Lion descended. Keith and Lance leaned against the hangar door, waving as the sunset lit up their faces, matching white suits decorated with purple ties and the wind picking at the black cut-out crowns the twins had made that were loose on their foreheads. A blue boutonnière for Lance and a red one for Keith drew grins from their space family, and the Black Lion had a flower garland draped around their neck to celebrate. Keith’s ponytail whipped in the wind as they landed, Lance’s undercut even more loose and blown than usual, and his blossomed Altean markings caught the light in time with Keith’s lasilh.</p>
<p>	“Sorry, the heroes always arrive fashionably late,” teased Lance, hopping down from Black and swooping Sylvio and Nadia into his arms. “Did I miss anything other than Tía Allura’s usual gossip?”</p>
<p>	“Yep! Tío Hunk had plenty about Rax!” Chirped Sylvio, throwing a wink at Hunk as the paladin threw a hand over his chest with a deep gasp.</p>
<p>	“Betrayal!”</p>
<p>	“Mijo!” Cried Lance’s mother, bursting out of the car swerving into the parking lot like a deranged missile, and flinging herself into her youngest son’s arms. “I am so glad to see you well! I’m so sorry we’re late, traffic was terrible, I trust we haven’t missed anything?”</p>
<p>	“Not a thing, Mami,” promised Lance, crushing her close to him as Keith trapped Acxa and Krolia in a tight hug. “We would never start without you.”</p>
<p>	“Yeah, but you also just got here,” teased Pidge, stashing her lab coat hurriedly under the nearest table before dashing over to tackle hug her brothers. “Glad you made it in time! Or I would have had to tell the stories about our late night disco expedition!”</p>
<p>	“Pidge! You said you’d take that to the gra—!”</p>
<p>	“THAT WAS YOU?!”</p>
<p>	Lance punched Pidge’s shoulder lightly, which she returned without hesitation, and Hunk bustled over to lock his two oldest friends in a suffocating hug.</p>
<p>	“You’re going to kill it out there, buddy.”</p>
<p>	“Yeah, but only if ‘Lura doesn’t kill me first!” Squeaked Lance, tearing out of the way as his sister ripped after him, Keith’s laughter trailing behind his soon-to-be-husband.</p>
<p>	Adam chuckled, shaking his head fondly, and Shiro adjusted his tie before turning to Keith with a smile.</p>
<p>	“Missed you,” said Keith, cutting Shiro off before he even got a word in, catching the offered hand and pulling him in for a tight hug. “Don’t cry too hard, that suit’s definitely a rental.”</p>
<p>	“You are the worst little brother ever and you’ve forgotten that you gave me the power of a best man speech to embarrass you in front of everyone.”</p>
<p>	“These guys have seen me shrieking about cryptids at two in the morning after one too many bowls of Lucky Charms with coffee instead of milk, you have nothing on me.”</p>
<p>	“Don’t say that with pride.”</p>
<p>	Keith drew back with a laugh like wedding bells, and Shiro’s eyes swelled with tears against his will. “Now go get your man, little bro. You two deserve today.”</p>
<p>	Keith’s eyes caught the sunlight and swam in it, his bottom lip trembling, and Shiro chuckled as he placed a trembling hand on his little brother’s shoulder.</p>
<p>	“Shut up, you’re not allowed to make me cry when Lance is about to be sappy.”</p>
<p>	“Yeah, you’re doomed.”</p>
<p>	“Yeah. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”</p>
<p>	Because, how could he? When Lance spun to laugh, fending off their space sister’s attacks, the sunshine transforming everything about him into a pure angel, how could Keith possibly want anything else? When Nadia and Sylvio ran down the aisle throwing flowers, when Allura, Pidge, and Hunk took their places as Lance’s bridesmaids and groomsman, when Shiro, Acxa, and Adam filed in behind Keith, how could he want anything else? Krolia walked down the aisle with the rings, and Matt read out a poem that Keith and Lance had selected ages ago, and Coran stood between the two paladins he had helped raise into men as the officiant to finally tie their love together. How could Keith possibly want anything more than this? Than this beautiful day with the family and the man he loved more than he had thought any heart could?</p>
<p>	And, when Lance pulled out his vows, he looked straight into Keith’s eyes with the same fearless heart that he had fallen for back when they first rescued Shiro from that lab. It was the heart that had flown through hell and back with a smile, that had saved people and hugged hope back into them, that had taught not only Keith how much beauty there was in the universe, but also everyone who was lucky enough to run into him, whether as a Paladin of Voltron or a diplomat of the Voltron Alliance.</p>
<p>And, right then, Keith felt like the luckiest man in the whole wide universe to have Lance as all of that combined and a husband as well. Quiznak, he said he wouldn’t cry!</p>
<p>“Keith, you will never stop being a mullet to me, no matter how much you grow out your hair,” started Lance, flashing him a wink before Keith could even begin to think that maybe that prior resolution was attainable. “And, no matter how much you grow with me, I’ll never be able to look at you and see anything other than the man I’ve fallen for. You and I started out rough, we were Lance and Keith, neck and neck, but now we get to be Lance and Keith, hand in hand, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. No matter what we faced down, I always knew I was safe as long as you were there, watching my back.”</p>
<p>From their first battleship to that robobeast on Arus, from a bomb to the freedom of the Balmera, from a berserk castle to a freak wormhole accident……</p>
<p>“You’ve always stood beside me. And, no matter how difficult I could be at times, and no matter how annoying you constantly were,” teased Lance with a smirk, tears already welling in both his and his loved one’s eyes, “even back then, we could never bring ourselves to walk out on each other. Somewhere along the line, I realized that you weren’t like anyone else I had ever met before. You were smart, courageous, and straightforward. You cared about the world around you, about the people who loved you, and about the fate of the universe more than anyone else, and you would do whatever it took to give us all the future we’re standing in today. By the time I became your right-hand man, I already knew I was fighting a hopeless battle against that priceless heart of yours.”</p>
<p>…From the discovery of the Olkari to Allura and Keith’s risky maneuver, from the discovery of Keith’s heritage to their initial destruction of Zarkon, from Shiro’s disappearance to Keith and Lance’s leadership in their first fight with Lotor…</p>
<p>“Keith, you have always been the only one for me. When you left for the Blades, I finally realized that I was never going to meet anyone like you again and, even if I did, it wouldn’t matter because you already had my heart. Everything we’ve done has led us to this point, so I can’t regret even a tick of it. Whether they were mistakes or not, I wouldn’t change a thing, because, today, I get to call myself the man who makes you smile.”</p>
<p>From Lance’s questioning of his worth on the team to Keith’s departure, from Naxzela to Voltron’s alliance with Lotor, from the Kral Zera to…to everything, no matter what, Lance had been the one constant Keith could always count on.</p>
<p>“Keith, you’re the mulleted light of my life, and I love you. I can’t wait to spend forever hopping around the universe with you, protecting this peace you and I have forged out of love and dedication, and showing anyone and everyone that <i>this is us</i>. You’re the Vol to my Tron. And, on my life, I swear I will make you the happiest person to ever live,” stated Lance, staring straight at Keith like both of them weren’t dissolving into tears with every word. “I will always be there for you. Hey man,” he managed, cupping Keith’s cheek and wiping away the tears mirroring his own even as he gave the brightest smile anyone had ever seen, “we make a pretty good team. And I know we’re going to make even better husbands. I love you, now and forever, Keith.”</p>
<p>Keith drowned in his words, tears overflowing and hiccups shaking his chest, and clasped Lance’s hand like it was a lifeline.</p>
<p>“You idiot,” he choked out, violet eyes swimming with the blue of his eternal love’s as he returned that smile brighter than the sun. “Shut up and kiss me already.”</p>
<p>And, as Coran gestured for them to proceed, Keith and Lance sealed the vow they had forged through fire and blood, through ice and steel, through every action they had lived by for the last seven years, with a soft kiss.</p>
<p>And, with their family cheering around them, the Lions roaring along the beachfront, and an eternity of love awaiting them, Keith and Lance turned towards their future with a single heartbeat uniting them with their loved ones, and matching rings glinting around their fingers.</p>
<p>“This…” breathed Lance and Keith together, their voices merging into that of their space family’s and their smiles outshining any sun they would ever discover or had ever seen.</p>
<p>Six hearts beat as one, filled with the peace they had fought for, the peace they would never lose again, the peace of knowing that, no matter what came next, they could handle it with heads held high and smiles unbreakable. They were Voltron, after all. And Kitron would never be far behind.</p>
<p>“This is perfect.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I own nothing!</p>
<p>And that's a wrap, folks! If you want to see a little more of these dorks, I'm going to be finishing up April With Klance, which serves as something of a domestic sequel to everything but the epilogue of Magnetic in Our Purple. It's mostly just domestic Klance with the twins though, so beware. But, seriously, thank you. Thank you all so much for coming with me on this crazy adventure, you all inspired me to finish this fan fiction and I hope that I was maybe able to give you guys a bit of joy with it. Thank you all so much!!! It's been an honor flying with all of you!!! &lt;3333333333</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I own nothing!</p><p>The second half will be out within a week, I'm just finishing the final battle, and I figured it was too big and dense to publish all at once. So, to all those incredible people still reading this, please enjoy the beginning of the finale!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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